A major internal law enforcement investigation unfolding in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital has resulted in the detention of seven police officers, all linked to the mysterious disappearance of three Glock pistols, three firearm magazines and 45 rounds of 9mm ammunition from Port of Spain’s Central Police Station. Senior law enforcement officials confirmed Wednesday that two officers were taken into custody late Wednesday as the probe into the missing weapons intensified, with the remaining five arrested between Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon.
Authorities have planned to search the residential properties of all seven detained officers, though as of late Thursday, senior leaders had not confirmed whether those searches had been completed. Police spokespersons have also declined to release any details on the ranks or ages of the seven officers in custody, noting only that all suspects are currently undergoing questioning as a standard part of the investigative process.
The missing firearms and ammunition were originally deposited at the Central Police Station for secure storage by Port of Spain Municipal Police officers at 2:47 p.m. on August 10. Just under 13 hours later, at 3:40 a.m. on August 11, a routine inventory check revealed the cache of weapons was gone, and an official investigation was launched immediately.
Beyond the ongoing criminal probe, the incident has sparked growing friction between Port of Spain Municipal Police and Central Police Station personnel over the current protocols for storing deposited firearms. Municipal police sources told local media outlet the Express that officers attempting to retrieve weapons from the Central Police Station on Thursday faced delays of up to two hours, even for routine processes such as getting pocket diaries signed to confirm weapon collection. These delays are cutting into active patrol time, sources said, leaving municipal officers spending more time navigating administrative holdups than serving communities on city streets, and turning the storage arrangement into a persistent source of frustration for frontline personnel.
This latest weapons disappearance comes less than four months after a far deadlier incident at another Trinidad and Tobago police station: the murder of acting corporal Anuska Eversley and the theft of a large cache of firearms from the San Fernando Municipal Police Station. Eversley, a 42-year-old mother of three, was found dead at the King’s Wharf station on Lady Hailes Avenue. A post-mortem examination confirmed she died after being beaten and strangled.
Three people – municipal police officer Jivan “Bigs” Cooper, construction worker Kwame Arnold, and scrap iron dealer Nicholas “Nico” Ramdass – have been charged with Eversley’s murder, as well as firearms trafficking connected to the weapons and ammunition stolen from the station’s armoury. Four municipal officers who were suspended during the early phase of that investigation have since returned to active duty, though one superintendent remains suspended pending the outcome of ongoing probe work.
Back in May, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro announced that an Interpol Red Notice had been issued for a fourth suspect in Eversley’s murder, who investigators believe fled the country as the case unfolded. At that time, Guevarro also noted that a full firearms audit of the weapons stolen from the San Fernando station was still ongoing, describing the effort as a massive, large-scale project carried out by a dedicated team of officers. He confirmed that the audit was roughly 50 to 55% complete as of mid-May, after earlier police reports suggested approximately 123 firearms had been taken from the station armoury. As of May 21, Guevarro added, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) personnel had recovered 38 pistols, four shotguns, one MPX sub-machine gun, one revolver and more than 900 rounds of ammunition, most found in and around the Claxton Bay area. Many stolen weapons remain unaccounted for, however, leaving the investigation open.