In a significant blow to narcotics trafficking operations, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has successfully concluded a complex year-long investigation resulting in criminal charges against two individuals connected to a massive cocaine seizure at Piarco International Airport.
The breakthrough stems from an intelligence-driven operation conducted by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) on December 8, 2024, which uncovered 65 kilograms of cocaine concealed within the airport’s cargo area. The illicit substances, with an estimated street value of $91 million, were subjected to rigorous forensic examination by the Specialist Evidence Recovery Unit (SERU) and the Forensic Science Laboratory.
Following meticulous investigative work, SIU officers executed a targeted operation in the Western Division on December 1, detaining three individuals for questioning. During these operations, authorities seized substantial amounts of multiple currencies totaling £7,005, €150, and TT$69,820 in suspected criminal proceeds.
The Financial Investigation Bureau has initiated parallel proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act to trace and recover additional assets linked to the drug trafficking network.
Two primary suspects have been formally charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. The accused appeared before the Port of Spain High Court North on December 4, where charges were laid indictably. Both defendants were remanded in custody after being denied bail.
Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro praised the interagency collaboration that made the operation successful, noting involvement from SERU, IATF, NOTF, FIB, and CID/CRO units alongside external partners. “Their work demonstrates the strength of intelligence-driven policing and the power of collaboration,” Guevarro stated.
The Commissioner issued a stern warning to drug traffickers: “Crime hides in cargo, but justice arrives in uniform; those who think they can outwit the TTPS will learn that intelligence is our weapon of choice, and every seizure is us reclaiming the future of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Investigations into other aspects of the drug trafficking network remain ongoing, with additional arrests and charges anticipated.