Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement officials have taken three individuals into custody for voluntary questioning overnight as part of a sweeping probe into a suspected deliberate arson at state telecommunications provider TSTT’s Laventille Work Centre that destroyed more than TT$20 million worth of high-value insulated copper cable over the weekend. According to an official statement from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), emergency first responders received the first report of a large blaze tearing through the TSTT facility on Eastern Main Road shortly after 10:25 p.m. on Saturday night. The fast-moving inferno completely incinerated stockpiles of combustible insulated copper telecommunications cable stored on the premises, with preliminary damage assessments placing the total value of destroyed inventory at more than TT$20 million, as full teams continue to survey the compound to calculate the full scope of structural and equipment losses. Firefighters battled the persistent blaze for nearly nine hours, gaining initial containment by 7:35 a.m. the following day, with final extinguishment operations stretching late into the night to douse remaining smouldering material. One firefighter was transported to Port of Spain General Hospital for treatment of minor superficial burns and smoke inhalation, and has since been released to recover. Unverified on-scene reports that circulated shortly after the fire broke out alleged the attack was carried out by individuals affiliated with the local District One gang, with security camera footage reportedly capturing suspects hurling improvised Molotov cocktail incendiary devices over the compound perimeter fence to ignite the fire. Investigators have since collected security footage from the site and pulled CCTV recordings from all adjacent public and private locations to cross-reference witness accounts and track the movement of potential suspects. In a coordinated law enforcement operation launched between midnight and 6 a.m. the day after the fire, hundreds of officers drawn from the Port of Spain Division, Port of Spain Task Force, Inter-Agency Task Force, Transit Police, Air Support Unit, Guard and Emergency Branch, K-9 Unit, and supported by members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, executed targeted sweeps across Beetham, Laventille, and surrounding neighbourhoods. The operation, overseen by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Suzette Martin and managed on the ground by senior ranking officers including Superintendent Ramsook, Superintendent Cadette, Acting Assistant Superintendent Mongroo, and Inspector Bethelmy, involved systematic searches of residential properties, parked vehicles, and voluntary interviews with local residents to gather intelligence on any suspicious activity recorded in the area on the night of the attack. Martin emphasized that the TTPS is prioritizing the case given the severe public safety risks posed by the deliberate act, noting that any intentional attack on critical national infrastructure that puts civilian lives, local communities, and frontline emergency responders in harm’s way will not be tolerated. “We take this incident extremely seriously. Any deliberate act that threatens lives, damages critical infrastructure or places emergency responders at risk, is unacceptable. We will pursue all available investigative avenues to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident and bring those responsible to justice,” Martin stated in an official media release. The TTPS has issued a public appeal to any witnesses who observed unusual activity near the TSTT compound on Saturday evening, or who hold information relevant to the investigation, to contact the Besson Street Police Station at 623-1395, the national emergency hotlines 555 or 999, or the anonymous Crime Stoppers line at 800-TIPS. In a separate official update, TSTT confirmed that the fire at its cable yard has been fully extinguished, with 24/7 monitoring teams deployed on site to mitigate any risk of re-ignition, noting that no TSTT staff sustained injuries during the incident, while the root cause of the fire and full damage assessment remain ongoing. The high-profile arson incident sparked widespread public concern over collateral risks to adjacent critical facilities, including the nearby Angostura Ltd distillery warehouses and industrial tank farm. Angostura released an official statement confirming the fire did not originate on its property, but came close enough to pose a tangible operational and safety threat, noting that its leadership is coordinating closely with local authorities and emergency response teams to monitor conditions and implement proactive risk mitigation measures. The company added that all core manufacturing, production, and distribution operations have remained fully uninterrupted since the incident, with additional safety precautions put in place to protect its employees, physical assets, and supply chain continuity. Reporters from the Trinidad Express who visited the site on Sunday morning observed thick plumes of residual smoke still hanging over the compound, with teams of firefighters and T&TEC utility personnel entering the restricted zone to conduct post-incident assessments. Local residents of nearby Beetham Gardens and Laventille neighbourhoods told reporters the overnight fire left many community members deeply traumatized, as heavy toxic smoke drifted into residential areas for hours, triggering respiratory distress and widespread fear that the out-of-control blaze could spread to nearby homes. “It was going on for hours, and the smoke was making it hard to breathe. We were worried because we did not know if the fire would spread any further or if our homes would be affected,” one local resident shared. Another resident noted that the extended duration of the overnight fire left families fearing total loss of their homes and personal possessions, particularly with young children sheltering in place as the blaze raged nearby. “We were scared because a fire like that could get out of control very quickly. People have their children, their families and everything they own in those homes. We were thinking about what could happen if the fire spread to us,” the unnamed resident explained. Multiple community members expressed deep gratitude to frontline firefighters and emergency personnel who worked through the night to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to residential neighbourhoods, noting that the outcome could have been catastrophic without their rapid, sustained intervention. Local residents also universally condemned the actions of the suspected arsonists, calling for full accountability for anyone found responsible for the reckless attack that put dozens of innocent civilians at risk of injury, displacement, or death. Laventille West Member of Parliament Kareem Marcelle also weighed in on the incident via a public social media post, expressing relief that no fatalities were recorded in the blaze, and confirming that he is awaiting the full official findings of the ongoing Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service and TTPS investigations into the attack.