Police have arrested a Regiment private assigned to be part of joint patrols for his alleged involvement in the violent robbery of a Mayaro family.
The 37-year-old, who is attached to the Cumuto base, was on temporary duty at the Mayaro Police Station.
His arrest came after one of his victims went to the station to give a statement and saw him there wearing his army uniform.
A report stated that the family, who owns a hardware, was at home in Mafeking Village at 4.55 pm when a heavily tinted black SUV with blue swivel lights pulled up. Six men, one in plain clothes, two in police tactical wear and three in army uniforms, got out of the SUV. Two had firearms. The men approached the house and told the 47-year-old homeowner that they were investigating a report of a house fire and came for surveillance footage.
The homeowner allowed the men inside, where his wife, 44, and son, 23, were. However, the men then announced a robbery and bound the family’s hands and feet before robbing them of gold jewelry, cash, mobile phones and their Digital Video Recorder, all valued at $67,400. The men then left in the SUV.
The family contacted Mayaro CID and responding officers took them to the Mayaro District Health Facility for treatment.
They subsequently went to the station to give a statement, where one of the victims saw the private. He told the investigator, who then questioned and detained the soldier.
Investigators are still searching for the others involved up to yesterday evening.