Carib Scope

分类： crime

  • ‘Flossing King’ Flippa Moggela facing drug charges in US again

    ‘Flossing King’ Flippa Moggela facing drug charges in US again

    Renowned Jamaican dancehall performer Flippa Moggela, legally named Andrew Kendrick Davis, has found himself back in the crosshairs of United States federal law enforcement, just four years after securing an early release from prison on prior drug trafficking convictions. The self-proclaimed ‘Flossing King’, who also performs under the stage name Flippa Mafia, is one of four defendants named in a newly unsealed federal drug conspiracy indictment filed out of New Jersey. His co-accused in the case are Damion Jones, Clifford Brown, and James McBride.

    Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey outline that the four men are alleged to have coordinated a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy between August 2025 and May 2026. The scheme, court documents claim, centered on the conspiracy to possess and distribute multiple quantities of controlled substances: no less than 500 grams of methamphetamine, at least 400 grams of fentanyl, and a minimum of five kilograms of cocaine.

    As part of the ongoing multi-agency investigation into the alleged ring, a federal judge granted a warrant authorizing law enforcement to intercept communications from two mobile phones directly linked to Davis. Official criminal complaints filed as part of the case include what investigators describe as damning recorded discussions between Davis, one of his co-defendants, and an unidentified female that allegedly tie the artist to the conspiracy.

    Court records detail a key investigative milestone on May 9, 2026, when surveilling officers watched a U.S. Postal Service employee deliver a package shipped from California five days prior to a pre-identified target address under active surveillance. A subsequent court-authorized search of the property led to the apprehension of one of Davis’ co-defendants, and investigators seized 10 pounds of suspected methamphetamine and two kilograms of suspected cocaine from the location.

    Follow-up search and arrest operations across multiple locations resulted in the detention of all three remaining co-defendants, with additional physical evidence linked to the alleged conspiracy seized during the raids. Davis made his initial court appearance this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio, when the previously sealed charges against him were officially made public.

    As of press time, Davis remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, ahead of a scheduled bail hearing set for May 14 at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. This latest arrest marks a dramatic turn in Davis’ recent story: he was first convicted in 2016 as part of the high-profile Operation Next Day Air, a major federal takedown of a large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering network that counted Davis as a key target. Though he was handed a 25-year prison sentence for that conviction, he was granted early release on parole in 2022. Following his release, Davis returned to his music career, releasing a string of new tracks including *Inna Mi Zone* and *Own Don* in 2025, before his latest detention.

  • More Aviation Fuel Found in Neuland

    More Aviation Fuel Found in Neuland

    In a developing investigation into international drug trafficking activity in northern Belize, authorities have uncovered a stockpile of suspected contraband aviation fuel that points to a far larger, ongoing smuggling operation than initially thought. Belize Police Commissioner Dr. Richard Rosado publicly confirmed Wednesday that law enforcement teams discovered 15 containers holding what is believed to be illicit aviation fuel during a patrol of the Neuland community in Corozal District on Tuesday. Alongside the fuel cache, investigators also found an unauthorized lighting system set up in the remote area, which they say was intentionally installed to facilitate unregulated nighttime aircraft landings in the region. The discovery comes just weeks after a landmark joint anti-drug operation between Belizean law enforcement and global partner agencies intercepted a drug-carrying narco-plane in the same general area. That operation seized more than 1,000 pounds of high-purity cocaine, with an estimated street value of approximately $11 million, and led to the immediate arrest of the aircraft’s two crew members: Mexican nationals Edgar Aguilar and Paul Valenzuela, identified as the plane’s pilot and co-pilot respectively. The pair remain in custody awaiting trial on charges of drug importation and violations of Belizean immigration law, with court proceedings ongoing. Investigators say the latest find of pre-staged fuel and landing lighting confirms their early hypothesis that the intercepted narco-flight was not an isolated incident. Instead, the cached supplies indicate that trafficking groups had planned multiple drug shipments via air into Belize, with the fuel and infrastructure prepared to support repeated landing operations. Full updates on the expanding investigation will be broadcast during tonight’s primetime broadcast of News 5 Live.

  • Trinidadian cop, two others charged in police station attack

    Trinidadian cop, two others charged in police station attack

    PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – A brazen early-morning attack on a southern Trinidad police station that left an acting police corporal dead and a cache of weapons stolen has resulted in criminal charges against three suspects, one of whom is a serving municipal police officer, Trinidadian law enforcement officials confirmed this week.

    The 42-year-old victim, Anuska Eversley, a mother of three, was discovered dead with visible signs of violence at the San Fernando Municipal Police Station on Lady Hailes Avenue shortly before 5 a.m. on the Sunday of the incident. First responders soon uncovered that multiple firearms and rounds of ammunition had been stolen from the station’s secured armoury, launching a widespread, multi-district manhunt for perpetrators.

    Trinidad and Tobago Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro told local media outlet the Trinidad Guardian that charges were formally filed only after Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard issued a formal directive authorizing investigators to move forward with the case. The three accused are 28-year-old municipal police officer Jivan Cooper, a 24-year-old scrap iron dealer, and a 20-year-old construction worker. All three face four joint criminal charges: murder, robbery with violence, firearms trafficking, and illegal possession of ammunition.

    Guevarro explained that the charges came after a series of synchronized law enforcement operations across Claxton Bay, Gasparillo, Macaulay and their surrounding communities. Those raids not only led investigators to the suspects but also yielded a major seizure of illegal weapons: authorities recovered 44 firearms alongside large stockpiles of ammunition and high-capacity gun magazines.

    “These charges arise out of coordinated enquiries and recovery operations conducted over the past several days,” Guevarro said. The commissioner added that the investigation remains active, with law enforcement continuing to work to identify additional co-conspirators and recover more stolen and illicit weapons.

    Officials have not yet released a final count of how many weapons were taken from the police station armoury, as Guevarro confirmed that a full official audit of the armoury inventory is still ongoing. In the aftermath of the killing and breach of the police facility, top leadership of the Trinidad Municipal Police Service has undergone a temporary shake-up: Service head Surrendra Sagramsingh has been placed on administrative leave, with former official Wayne Mystar stepping in to serve as acting head. Additionally, five officers assigned to the San Fernando station have been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the internal and criminal investigation into the incident.

  • ACP Sagramsingh sent on leave

    ACP Sagramsingh sent on leave

    A high-ranking Trinidad and Tobago police official has been ordered onto immediate administrative leave as investigators unravel a shocking case that combines the brutal murder of a serving police officer, large-scale theft of law enforcement firearms, and alleged long-running corruption within the municipal police ranks.

    Surrendra Sagramsingh, Municipal Assistant Commissioner of Police and head of the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS) for six years, confirmed to local outlet Express that he stepped down from his duties at the direction of government authorities. The administrative action comes as detectives intensify their probe into the killing of Anuska Eversley, a municipal police corporal, and the mass theft of weapons and ammunition from the San Fernando Municipal Police Station, where Eversley was stationed.

    In an interview over the phone, Sagramsingh acknowledged that while being placed on leave during an active investigation is not standard procedure, he was complying fully with the directive. “If the authorities feel that is the best thing to do at the time, I am compliant,” he stated, adding that “this measure is for transparency during the investigation, and I accept that it goes with the territory of my position.”

    The formal directive, dated April 21, 2026, was issued by acting permanent secretary Peter Mitchell on behalf of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government. The letter explicitly clarifies that the leave is a precautionary step to protect the investigation’s integrity, and does not represent a finding of misconduct or personal liability on Sagramsingh’s part. It directs him to remain available to investigators and cooperate fully with all lawful requests connected to the probe, a condition Sagramsingh says he accepts.

    The case unfolded early on Sunday morning, when Eversley, a mother of three, was found dead inside the San Fernando station at 4:40 a.m. A subsequent autopsy revealed she had suffered a brutal attack: she was beaten, strangled, and stabbed to death. Immediately after the discovery of Eversley’s body, authorities confirmed that a large cache of firearms and ammunition stored in the station’s charge room had been stolen.

    Senior investigative sources speaking to Express have outlined a sprawling, months-long criminal conspiracy at the heart of the case. Preliminary probe findings indicate a ring of corrupt municipal police officers has been diverting station-held weapons and selling them to criminal organizations for between six and eight months prior to Eversley’s death. The ongoing scheme has sparked urgent questions about how the illegal activity went undetected by command staff for so long.

    Sources also told reporters that investigators believe Eversley was a participating member of the smuggling ring. They allege she regularly brought unauthorized men into the station, facilitated the transport of drugs and stolen weapons using official police vehicles, and provided armed escort for gang members carrying out criminal operations. According to investigative accounts, Eversley and a primary suspect had been stealing small batches of firearms and ammunition from the charge room for months, selling the weapons and splitting the illicit profits.

    The fatal confrontation that led to her murder reportedly stemmed from a dispute over the scope of the theft: Eversley favored continuing the slow, small-scale diversion of weapons to avoid detection, while the suspect pushed to steal the entire cache of stored weapons in one raid. On the Saturday night before her body was found, Eversley was on duty at the station. Investigators say she sent the two other on-duty officers upstairs to sleep, telling them she would handle securing the charge room alone.

    Witness and intelligence accounts indicate an unknown man arrived at the station later that night to meet Eversley, and the pair engaged in sexual activity. When Eversley’s body was discovered the next morning, she was found partially clothed. After killing Eversley, the suspect signaled to two other men waiting in a silver vehicle parked outside the station. The group then removed the entire stolen cache of weapons from the station property. Sources identify the prime suspect as a drug addict who they believe masterminded the final mass heist.

    As of press time, police have detained 10 people connected to the case, and recovery efforts for the stolen weapons are underway. A major breakthrough came yesterday, when the Highway Patrol South Operations Team stopped a white Kia K2700 pickup truck carrying three male suspects. During the stop, officers recovered 13 firearms, 12 magazines, 288 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and 10 12-gauge cartridges, all confirmed to be from the Sunday theft. To date, a total of 43 firearms and more than 900 rounds of mixed ammunition have been recovered.

    Investigators add that they already have intelligence on the location of remaining stolen weapons, and expect to apprehend additional suspects who aided and abetted the criminal ring. The case has also revealed allegations that corrupt officers have falsified official station records to cover up the gradual theft of weapons over the past year.

    Only days before he was placed on leave, Sagramsingh stood alongside Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro and Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander at an official press conference in San Fernando addressing the incident. When contacted by Express for comment on Sagramsingh’s placement on leave, Minister Khadijah Ameen of the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government confirmed her department’s acting permanent secretary had issued the directive, but declined to provide further details, citing the active ongoing investigation. Police Commissioner Guevarro also did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

  • Trinidadian cop expected to be charged with murder in police station attack

    Trinidadian cop expected to be charged with murder in police station attack

    PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Caribbean Media Corporation – Four days after a brazen attack on a Trinidad police station left an acting officer dead and a large cache of weapons stolen, national law enforcement authorities announced Wednesday that a serving 28-year-old municipal police officer will face murder charges over the shocking incident, which senior officials have labeled an act of internal betrayal that traumatized the entire nation.

    In an official statement, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) confirmed that acting on legal guidance from Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard SC, the municipal officer will also face three additional felony counts: robbery with violence, firearms trafficking, and illegal possession of ammunition.

    Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro praised the investigative team for their rapid, detail-oriented work, noting that the operation aligned with the strict professional standards the TTPS upholds across all units. He emphasized that the swift progress has moved the case closer to delivering justice for the family and colleagues of slain acting Corporal Anusha Eversley, as well as for a public shaken by the breach of public trust.

    Guevarro stressed that the corrupt actions of a small number of officers do not represent the wider force, adding that the oath of office binds all law enforcement personnel, regardless of whether they serve in municipal, transit, estate, special reserve or regular police units, to a higher public duty. “The lure of greed and quick money can never justify the betrayal of public trust,” he said. “For those who choose corruption and criminality, we will leave no stone unturned to remove you from among the officers who risk their lives daily to protect our citizens.” In a pointed closing remark, Guevarro reaffirmed the TTPS’s commitment to rooting out rogue officers, noting the service would continue to hold the line on the integrity of the police badge.

    As the multi-pronged investigation moves forward, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander told the Senate Tuesday that law enforcement has detained 10 people connected to the attack, including a 16-year-old minor. Authorities have officially classified the incident as a major national security breach, and Alexander confirmed that investigative teams have worked around the clock since Sunday’s attack to crack the case.

    Alexander told legislators that all 10 detainees, ranging in age from 16 to 33, remain in police custody, and investigators have already recovered a large portion of the stolen firearms and ammunition. Recovered weapons include one MPX submachine gun, four shotguns, one revolver, and 39 pistols, alongside 900 rounds of ammunition, 39 pistol magazines and one MPX magazine.

    With the investigation still in a sensitive phase awaiting further direction from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Alexander confirmed that the police leadership has already moved to implement sweeping, immediate institutional reforms to prevent similar breaches. Key changes include strict new accountability protocols for firearms storage and security, designed to close gaps that allowed the deadly attack.

    The Homeland Security Minister assured the upper chamber of parliament that the attack on the municipal police precinct remains the top priority for the national security apparatus, with all available resources deployed to wrap up the investigation as quickly as possible.

    In an update on a separate high-profile fatal shooting incident, Alexander told senators that police are also making progress in the quadruple murder that unfolded Sunday in the outlying community of Morvant. The attack, which saw gunmen open fire on a moving vehicle, left eight-year-old J’layna Armstrong among the dead. Alexander said that intelligence-led proactive patrols and increased surveillance are already in place to maintain community calm, several suspects have been taken into custody, and specialized units have been deployed to the area specifically to mitigate the risk of retaliatory gang violence.

  • Stolen guns could fuel surge in violent crime

    Stolen guns could fuel surge in violent crime

    A brazen attack on the San Fernando Municipal Police Station that left on-duty officer Woman Police Constable Anuska Eversley dead and an arsenal of 56 firearms and thousands of ammunition rounds missing has triggered urgent warnings from top security experts, who say the stolen weapons are likely already in the possession of criminal networks and could spark a major surge in violent street and organized crime across the country.

    The incident, which unfolded at a facility designed to be one of the most secure state-controlled sites in the region, has prompted searing criticism of existing national security protocols, particularly as the attack took place while the nation was already under a state of emergency that grants law enforcement expanded arrest and investigative powers.

    Security consultant Dr. Garvin Heerah, in an interview with local newspaper *Express* following the attack and death of Eversley, called the incident a deeply troubling indicator of how rapidly organized criminal groups have grown in boldness, capability, and ambition. Unlike past criminal activity that largely operated on the margins of state control, Heerah emphasized that this attack marks a dangerous new phase: criminal networks are now willing to directly target state security infrastructure, kill active law enforcement officers, and seize military-grade weaponry to expand their own operational power.

    “The killing of a police officer in this context is not merely an attack on an individual public servant, it is a direct assault on the sovereign authority of the state,” Heerah explained. He added that the breach represents one of the most sensitive and urgent national security threats the country has faced in recent years, while also exposing critical flaws in the multi-layered security systems that are supposed to protect law enforcement facilities across the nation.

    Police stations and municipal law enforcement bases are required to be secured through a combination of physical barriers, procedural checks, and technological monitoring, making a breach of this scale particularly alarming. Heerah noted that the attack points to systemic vulnerabilities that demand immediate, comprehensive assessment and remediation at every similar law enforcement installation across the country.

    Beyond the systemic failure, the loss of such a large cache of weapons creates an immediate public safety crisis. Heerah warned that the stolen firearms, now circulating among criminal elements, carry a drastically elevated risk of widespread violent crime, including gang-related reprisal attacks, escalating inter-gang conflict, and expanded large-scale organized criminal operations.

    To address the crisis, Heerah has called on Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro to launch a full-scale, multi-agency investigation and response. He stressed that coordinated collaboration between intelligence units, investigative divisions, forensic services, and specialized tactical teams will be critical to unraveling the attack. Heerah also noted that advanced technological tools, including surveillance analytics, digital forensics, communications tracking, and cross-agency data integration, will be essential to identifying the perpetrators, reconstructing the sequence of the attack, and recovering the stolen arsenal before it can be deployed in future criminal activity.

    Heerah framed the incident as a critical wake-up call for national security leaders, urging an immediate overhaul of security protocols at all state security installations across the island. “Immediate reviews of access control systems, armoury management procedures, personnel vetting, surveillance coverage, and rapid response mechanisms must be undertaken as urgent precautionary measures,” he said.

    Leading criminologist Dr. Renee Cummings echoed these concerns, going a step further to argue that the attack amounts to a damning indictment of the country’s protective services, especially given the ongoing state of emergency that grants police maximum legal authority to prevent such incidents.

    Cummings posed a sharp rhetorical question: “How does a failure of this magnitude occur during a period of maximum authority?” She explained that even with expanded police powers, basic security controls failed across every critical domain: armoury security, site surveillance, command oversight, and on-duty personnel protection.

    She emphasized that the attack took place inside a facility that was supposed to operate as a hardened, impenetrable fortress, designed to withstand criminal attempts at intrusion. “When the State cannot secure the controlled environment of its own installation or safeguard an on-duty officer within it, its capacity to deliver public safety at scale is not credible,” Cummings said. “If the State cannot guarantee the controlled safety of one officer within its own walls, on what basis can it claim to secure the safety of an entire nation?”

  • …Family’s anguish after cop murdered

    …Family’s anguish after cop murdered

    In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, a senseless act of violence at a southern Trinidad and Tobago police station left a decorated 15-year veteran officer dead and triggered a massive manhunt after more than 60 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition were stolen from the facility’s secure strong room.

    Thirty-eight-year-old Anuska Eversley, an acting corporal with the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS), was found fatally shot in the neck by a colleague just after 4:40 a.m. at the San Fernando Municipal Police Station, located on King’s Wharf along Lady Hailes Avenue. The fellow officer, returning to the station’s charge room after an absence, discovered the space dark, the strong room ajar, and blood seeping from Eversley’s dormitory quarters, where her half-clothed body lay on a mattress. She had last been seen alive just before 11 p.m. Saturday while on duty.

    The brutal killing has sent waves of grief and shock through the officer’s family, her colleagues, and the Trinidad and Tobago public. Grieving relatives gathered at the cordoned-off crime scene Sunday morning, weeping openly as one heartbroken relative cried out, “WHY Father, why?” in anguish over the loss.

    Within hours of the discovery, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro confirmed that a serving police officer had been taken into custody for questioning in connection with the attack, and all officers who were on shift with Eversley the night of the killing would be required to provide formal statements as part of the investigation. Addressing reporters at a press briefing at the Southern Division headquarters in San Fernando, Guevarra called the incident an immediate top priority for law enforcement, and spoke candidly about the heartbreak that would come from one of their own being involved.

    “I would be very disheartened that an officer, sworn to protect the rights of citizens and uphold the laws of Trinidad and Tobago, could do something so heinous to one of his officers,” he said.

    Initial official inventories of the stolen arsenal confirm attackers made off with 52 Glock pistols, six shotguns, four MPX-style rifles, and more than 4,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition. A multi-agency investigative response has been launched, involving homicide detectives from Homicide Region III, tactical teams from the Inter-Agency Task Force, the Multi-Option Police Section, the Southern Division Task Force, and air and coastal support units. Crime scene investigators have already begun processing the site, collecting forensic evidence and conducting fingerprint analysis, and the station remains on lockdown as the probe progresses.

    Commissioner Guevarro told reporters Sunday that investigators have not uncovered any evidence to suggest the attack was a coordinated targeted strike on law enforcement by an external criminal group, adding that no further details would be released while the investigation is active. When asked about the massive security breach that allowed the weapons to be stolen from the station’s secure storage, Guevarro said all gaps would be uncovered during the investigation and the incident would serve as a learning moment to improve future security protocols.

    Assistant Commissioner of Municipal Police Surrendra Sagramsingh clarified that approximately seven officers were scheduled for the overnight shift from Saturday to Sunday, though several were deployed to outlying substations, leaving roughly five officers on-site at the San Fernando main station. He confirmed that Eversley was not alone on the premises when she was killed, contradicting early unconfirmed reports that she had been working the overnight shift by herself.

    Addressing public anxiety over the stolen weapons cache and the brazen attack on a police facility, Guevarro moved quickly to reassure the public that the incident is an isolated one, and that there is no cause for undue panic. He emphasized that existing emergency powers granted under the current state of emergency are sufficient for law enforcement to respond effectively, and that there are no plans to implement new curfews or expand emergency measures at this time.

    “Let them know that of the resolve of the law enforcement, not just the TTPS or the municipal police,” Guevarro said, speaking directly to the perpetrators. “We will not sit idly by and allow this sweet country of Trinidad and Tobago to be overrun by any criminality behaviour. We have less than 500 serious criminals in this country holding 1.4 million persons to ransom; we will not allow that to happen, rest assured.”

    Guevarro extended official condolences to Eversley’s family, friends, and colleagues, noting that the 15-year veteran left her home Saturday night to serve the public, and ultimately made the ultimate sacrifice for her community. “She lost her life while on duty. She had parents and she had children. I urge us all to take cognisance of the fact that police officers make the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

    As of Sunday evening, investigations remain ongoing, with law enforcement working to recover all stolen firearms and bring all those responsible for Eversley’s killing to justice.

  • Trinidad police release three as probe continues into fatal attack on station

    Trinidad police release three as probe continues into fatal attack on station

    PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – One week after a brazen fatal assault on the San Fernando City Corporation Municipal Police station left one on-duty officer dead and a cache of weapons and ammunition stolen, Trinidad and Tobago’s top law enforcement official has released new details on the progressing investigation. Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro announced Monday that three of the people initially detained for ties to the attack have been freed, as investigators continue to sift through evidence and narrow down suspects.

    In a key correction to earlier initial reports, Guevarro confirmed that autopsy results completed Monday show the slain officer, acting Corporal Anusha Eversley, did not die from a gunshot wound as first suspected. The forensic pathologist’s findings determined her cause of death was strangulation compounded by blunt and sharp force traumatic injuries, which Guevarro confirmed points to her being bludgeoned to death during the attack.

    “Corporal Eversley’s death was indeed a shocking moment to the nation, and the heist of several weapons and ammunition—that is an extreme concern to the TTPS,” Guevarro told reporters at a Monday news conference.

    Initial detentions following the Sunday attack saw six people taken into custody: two serving municipal police officers, two women, and two additional civilian men. Guevarro clarified that as questioning and evidence gathering progresses, three of those initial detainees – two women and one man – have been released, leaving six men between the ages of 16 and 33 still in police custody. The top cop added that further adjustments to the roster of people in custody are expected as the probe deepens.

    In a major breakthrough for the investigation, Guevarro confirmed that authorities have already recovered the vast majority of the stolen weaponry. So far, 38 firearms have been retrieved, including an MPX submachine gun, a shotgun, one revolver, and 35 pistols. Along with the firearms, 929 rounds of ammunition have also been recovered: 909 9mm rounds, 10 .38 caliber rounds, and 10 shotgun cartridges.

    Guevarro added that the investigation into the attack is expanding beyond identifying direct perpetrators, with authorities now targeting systemic gaps across the national municipal police service that allowed the attack to occur. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar confirmed over the weekend that the attack was an “internal betrayal” of the municipal police service, not an external assault on state security, noting that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is a separate entity from the San Fernando-based Municipal Police, and no TTPS officers were involved in the incident.

    In response to the breach, Guevarro said the TTPS is rolling out immediate system-wide reforms focused on strengthening firearms storage protocols and enforcing strict adherence to existing weapons policies and operational standing orders, designed to prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future. Investigators are also continuing to interview Eversley’s colleagues to probe for potential accomplices who may have aided the attack.

    “The public is assured that this investigation remains top priority and updates will be provided as new information becomes available,” Guevarro said.

    The attack comes amid a nationwide ongoing State of Emergency, with opposition leaders already questioning whether current security measures are sufficient to curb rising violent crime and prevent high-profile security breaches. Responding to public speculation, Persad-Bissessar confirmed that despite the attack, there is currently no need to implement a nationwide curfew. The TTPS has pledged full support to the municipal police service and San Fernando city officials as the probe moves forward.

  • Six detained as probe continues into ‘internal betrayal’ at Trinidad police station

    Six detained as probe continues into ‘internal betrayal’ at Trinidad police station

    PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Law enforcement authorities in Trinidad and Tobago have announced a significant breakthrough in the investigation into a brazen fatal security breach at a municipal police station that left one officer dead and dozens of firearms missing. Six people are now in custody, and a portion of the stolen weapons and ammunition has already been recovered, according to official updates from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).

    The incident unfolded on Sunday at the San Fernando City Corporation Municipal Police Station, where Acting Corporal Anusha Eversley was killed during the breach that ultimately saw more than 60 weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition stolen from the facility.

    In an official statement released this week, the TTPS confirmed that two of the six people taken into custody are currently serving municipal police officers, with the remaining four consisting of two women and two civilian men. The arrests came after a multi-unit overnight operation that blended intelligence-led strategy, cutting-edge technological tools, and simultaneous raids across multiple locations coordinated by the San Fernando Criminal Investigations Department, Special Branch, and the Special Investigations Unit.

    As a result of the coordinated operation, investigators have recovered a substantial haul of the stolen ordnance. The recovered inventory includes 10 M&P pistols, 10 Glock 19 pistols, one Browning pistol, one Smith & Wesson pistol, and 619 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

    Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro took personal command of on-ground operations in the early hours of Monday as the investigation entered its critical breakthrough phase. While the probe remains active and in a sensitive stage of development, the TTPS has given a public assurance that every available resource is being deployed to hold all perpetrators accountable, with additional public updates planned as new details emerge.

    Shortly after the incident, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar publicly clarified the nature of the attack, emphasizing that it was not an external assault on the national TTPS or the country’s broader national security apparatus. Instead, she framed the event as an “internal betrayal” originating within the separate Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS) attached to the San Fernando City Corporation. She also drew a clear distinction between the two law enforcement entities, confirming that no national TTPS officers were involved in any wrongdoing.

    “The Ministry of Homeland Security and the TTPS will provide full support to TTMPS, San Fernando Mayor Robert Parris and the San Fernando City Corporation to investigate and bring this matter to closure and recover the stolen items,” Persad-Bissessar added.

    The latest developments come as the nation operates under a continuing state of emergency, a measure that has drawn growing scrutiny from the political opposition, which has openly questioned whether current security policies are effectively curbing rising violent crime and preventing internal security lapses. Despite this criticism, Persad-Bissessar has rejected calls for stricter emergency measures, confirming publicly that “there is no need for any curfew” at this time.

  • Additional arrests made in $80 million phishing scam case

    Additional arrests made in $80 million phishing scam case

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Law enforcement authorities have taken two additional individuals into custody as part of a sweeping investigation into an $80 million phishing fraud scheme targeting customers of Jamaica’s National Commercial Bank (NCB). The early-morning arrest operation, carried out on Wednesday, April 15, was led by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) in collaboration with local law enforcement partners from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

    Officers took 26-year-old Shanielle Smith, a resident of Nannyville in Kingston, and 24-year-old Brandon Billings, from Twickenham Park in St Catherine, into custody at their respective residences. The pair is alleged to be active members of a transnational organized criminal ring that carried out a sophisticated, multi-year cyber fraud campaign, stealing a collective $80 million from NCB account holders between April 2022 and December 2023. The syndicate used deceptive phishing and smishing tactics to trick victims into surrendering sensitive personal and financial information, which was then exploited to drain accounts.

    Following the arrests, investigators seized multiple pieces of physical and digital evidence linked to the scheme from the suspects’ homes. Both Smith and Billings were subsequently transported to MOCA headquarters for processing, where they were formally charged with receiving stolen property and engaging in financial transactions with assets derived from criminal activity.

    In an official statement released after the operation, MOCA Director of Communications Major Basil Jarrett reiterated the agency’s commitment to rooting out all those involved in the massive fraud. “MOCA is unrelenting in pursuing those responsible for this theft,” Jarrett said, noting that cyber-enabled fraud schemes have been elevated to a top priority for the agency amid a steady rise in such crimes across Jamaica’s criminal landscape. He also extended formal thanks to JCF partners for their coordinated support that made the latest arrests possible.

    As the investigation continues to unfold, Jarrett issued a public warning for all Jamaican residents to maintain heightened vigilance when conducting online activities. He urged community members to immediately report any suspicious activity surrounding financial transactions to MOCA’s confidential tip line at 888-MOCA-TIP.