Carib Scope

分类： crime

  • 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.

  • Canadian man charged in connection with theft of Hurricane Melissa relief supplies for Jamaica

    Canadian man charged in connection with theft of Hurricane Melissa relief supplies for Jamaica

    A 40-year-old Canadian man from Brampton, Varinder Dhillon, is facing a series of criminal charges after allegedly stealing millions of dollars worth of disaster relief aid intended for Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts in Jamaica, Peel Regional Police announced in an official statement Thursday.

    According to investigative records, the alleged heist unfolded just before 5:30 a.m. on December 3, 2025, at a secured commercial storage facility located at the intersection of Derry Road East and Goreway Drive in Mississauga, Ontario. Authorities allege that Dhillon, who was already on probation for nearly identical theft offenses and subject to a permanent driving ban at the time of the incident, broke into the locked storage compound. Once inside, he used a heavy transport truck to hitch a trailer holding a shipping container fully stocked with donated relief supplies, then drove away from the site undetected.

    The stolen cargo consisted of donated clothing and non-perishable food and hygiene items, all collected specifically to support Jamaican communities recovering in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. Following the theft, investigators from the Peel Regional Police Commercial Auto Crime Bureau launched a wide-ranging probe to track down the stolen goods and identify the responsible party.

    Through meticulous investigative work, law enforcement named Dhillon as the prime suspect and executed a search warrant at his Brampton residence on March 11. The search led directly to Dhillon’s arrest, and investigators recovered more than CA$1 million worth of stolen relief supplies – equivalent to roughly J$115.2 million. All recovered property was returned to the original relief organization that had collected the donations, and has since been shipped to Kingston, Jamaica, where it is slated to be distributed to communities impacted by the storm.

    Dhillon faces multiple criminal counts, including breaking and entering, theft of property valued over CA$5,000, possession of property obtained through criminal activity, and multiple counts of probation violation. He remains in police custody as his case moves through the Canadian court system.

  • From Sangre Grande to Long Island

    From Sangre Grande to Long Island

    More than three decades after a Trinidadian immigrant was brutally murdered as one of the first victims of Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann, the long-buried family trauma that shaped her short life has finally come to light, revealing a tragic trajectory of violence, loss and broken dreams.

    Sandra Costilla, born Sandra Rajkumar in the small town of Sangre Grande, Trinidad and Tobago, was one of at least four women confirmed killed by Heuermann, a towering New York architect who targeted vulnerable women working in the sex trade along Long Island’s remote coast. Like many of Heuermann’s other victims, Costilla faced persistent economic instability that pushed her into survival sex work, making her an easy target for the killer who lured women with promises of cash before torturing, strangling and dismembering them, leaving their dismembered remains scattered across Long Island’s marshlands and remote shorelines.

    Costilla immigrated to the United States in 1982 at the age of 17, through a marriage of convenience with a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, arranged by her older half-brother Anthony, who had already settled in the U.S. Born to Ramkissoon “Ramki” Rajkumar, a well-known local police officer, and Milly Rattansingh, a skilled seamstress with a reputation for providing underground abortion services in mid-20th century Trinidad, Costilla — called Popo by her family and Sandy by her friends — experienced unthinkable violence from childhood that would shape the rest of her life.

    In June 1975, when Costilla was just 10 years old, her father Ramki arrived at the family’s Foster Road home carrying his service revolver, confronting Milly over allegations of infidelity. What followed that day was witnessed firsthand by Costilla’s 7-year-old younger brother Manny, who still carries vivid, traumatic memories of the massacre that left both his parents dead.

    “The bedroom door opened out into the living room area. I was standing there watching. I pi… myself,” Manny recalled in a 2024 interview, decades after the event. “They had to move me off that spot. I was frozen there. I saw everything. Ramki shot my mother. Sandra ran towards him and grabbed the gun. It went off and a bullet went straight through her right palm. After checking that my mother was dead, he put the gun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger.”

    Left orphaned, Costilla and Manny were bound by shared trauma that would haunt both of their lives for decades. Costilla long grieved the broken family she lost as a child, and after immigrating to the U.S., she struggled to build a stable life of her own, eventually spiraling into economic hardship and addiction that led her to sex work in New York. She was killed by Heuermann in November 1993, her remains dumped on Long Island like discarded meat.

    For Manny, the trauma of losing both parents as a child led to a life of instability, marked by brushes with the law, addiction, and incarceration on three separate occasions in the U.S. After being deported back to Trinidad, he currently awaits trial on a robbery charge in Arima, still consumed by grief and rage over his sister’s murder more than 30 years ago. Though he was never able to protect Costilla from their father’s violence as a child, or from Heuermann’s brutality nearly two decades later, he has never let go of his desire for revenge.

    “Her death destroyed me. It changed everything,” Manny said. “She died from blunt force trauma. I would like to blunt force trauma him! I want to stand over him and…” His words cut off, the pain of his loss still raw after more than 30 years.

  • Police Patrol in Caye Caulker Erupts into Chase and Shootout

    Police Patrol in Caye Caulker Erupts into Chase and Shootout

    In the quiet pre-dawn darkness of Easter Sunday 2026, when most residents of the laid-back Caribbean island Caye Caulker were still deep asleep, a sequence of violent events unfolded that would shake the small community and leave law enforcement with a open, high-stakes investigation.

    Shortly after 4 a.m. on April 5, officers assigned to the island’s Quick Response Team were conducting their regular routine patrol along Avenida Langosta when their attention was caught by suspicious activity: a red three-wheeled cargo tricycle was speeding through the normally calm residential streets. Inside the vehicle, three heavily masked men were spotted, apparently on their way to target the local Bowen and Bowen beverage distribution facility, a common high-value site for criminal activity in the region.

    When police moved to intercept the vehicle, the encounter escalated into violence almost instantly. One of the three masked suspects opened fire on the officers, forcing the patrol team to abandon their vehicle and take cover to avoid being hit. Members of the Quick Response Team returned fire as the suspects continued their frantic escape toward the RCD Wharf, a popular waterfront access point on the island.

    The high-speed chase reached a chaotic end when the suspects’ tricycle careened off the wharf and crashed directly into the Caribbean Sea, but their getaway was far from over. The three men swam from the sunken vehicle to a pre-prepared speedboat waiting near the Fishermen’s Cooperative, and managed to slip out of police custody before responding officers could secure the area.

    After the shootout, forensic investigators arrived at the scene to process evidence, recovering 17 spent shell casings scattered across the chase route and a cache of break-in tools including crowbars and steel pry bars, confirming the suspects were planning an armed burglary at the distribution center. No law enforcement officers or civilians were reported injured during the exchange of fire and chase.

    In an official statement to media, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith, Staff Officer for the department, confirmed the details of the incident, noting that investigators are currently working through two key lines of inquiry: tracing the ownership and origin of the abandoned tricycle, and reviewing all public and private surveillance camera footage along the suspects’ escape route to identify the perpetrators.

    As of the latest update, no arrests have been made in connection with the attempted robbery and shootout. Police have emphasized that despite the suspects’ escape, the investigation remains active and ongoing, with investigators working around the clock to pursue all available leads to bring the perpetrators into custody. The brazen, violent nature of the attempted robbery has sparked concern among residents of the small tourist-focused island, which rarely sees such open confrontations between criminals and law enforcement.

  • ‘I’m no snitch’

    ‘I’m no snitch’

    MONTEGO BAY, St James — A New York man charged with smuggling a large shipment of cannabis into Jamaica via Sangster International Airport has been ordered to pay thousands in fines by the St James Parish Court this Wednesday, closing a high-profile border contraband case that exposes gaps in cross-border cannabis movement amid partial legalization in both the U.S. and the Caribbean nation.

    Shaquel Morales, a resident of Queens, New York, faced four criminal charges: possession of cannabis (ganja), trafficking in ganja, illegal importation of ganja, and making a false declaration on immigration documentation. A separate conspiracy charge was ultimately dropped after prosecutors presented no supporting evidence. Morales was represented by local Jamaican defense attorney Martyn Thomas.

    Court documents and law enforcement reports outline the timeline of the incident, which unfolded around 10:30 a.m. on March 26. Acting on a tip, members of Jamaica’s law enforcement command were waiting in the Customs contraband search area when Morales exited an incoming flight from Miami, Florida, to undergo routine screening by a Jamaica Customs Agency contraband enforcement officer.

    During a preliminary search of Morales’ checked grey hard-shell suitcase, officers detected multiple tightly wrapped packages that field testing confirmed were cannabis. After being formally cautioned that unlicensed cannabis importation is a criminal offense under Jamaican law, Morales was moved to a secured secondary search facility for full evidence processing.

    At the secondary facility, Morales first told investigators he resided in Queens, New York, and provided the name of a local Jamaican hotel as his intended accommodation. When investigators cross-checked the information, they discovered the hotel he named had not operated in Jamaica for a number of years, and Morales could not produce any proof of a reservation. Further review of his mandatory C5 immigration declaration form showed he had listed the same defunct hotel as his Jamaican address, plus an Atlanta, Georgia residential address that did not match the Queens address he provided to officers — flags that confirmed investigators’ suspicions of a false declaration.

    When investigators confronted Morales about the non-existent hotel, he changed his account to claim a cousin would send someone to meet him at the airport, but he refused to provide his cousin’s full name or contact information. When pressed about who the shipment of cannabis was intended for, Morales famously told investigators, “I’m no snitch.” When asked who was scheduled to take him from the airport to his accommodation, he deflected again, responding, “It is mine, why you need to get a cab driver?” After that exchange, Morales declined to answer any additional questioning and invoked his right to have legal counsel present for further interrogation.

    A full forensic search of the suitcase uncovered 12 vacuum-sealed packages of cannabis, totaling approximately 14 pounds of the controlled substance, which were logged into evidence by investigators. Morales was taken into custody and transferred to the Montego Bay Police Station to await processing. During a formal interview on March 28 held with his defense attorney present, Morales entered a plea of not guilty to all charges laid against him.

    In his mitigation argument to the court, defense attorney Martyn Thomas painted Morales as a first-time offender who was misled by his family member. Thomas told the court that Morales traveled to Jamaica for a planned spring break trip, and his cousin — who operates a licensed cannabis dispensary in Jamaica and does business with a second dispensary based in Atlanta — asked Morales to transport the cannabis shipment from Atlanta to Jamaica for sale at the cousin’s dispensary. Thomas argued that Morales believed all required import permits had been secured by his cousin, and he was told clearing Jamaican customs with the cannabis would not present any problems.

    Thomas also addressed the false declaration charge, explaining that Morales completed his electronic C5 declaration mid-flight after realizing he had forgotten to fill it out ahead of time. With no confirmed accommodation arranged (his cousin was supposed to handle that, Thomas said), Morales entered the address of a Jamaican resort he had stayed at during a previous visit, with no intent to actually stay there. It was an impulsive, careless mistake, not a deliberate attempt to deceive, Thomas argued.

    On the claim that Morales entered the customs red channel (for travelers declaring goods), court clerks confirmed there was no record of Morales declaring the cannabis on any of his entry documentation. Thomas further emphasized that his client admitted he made a mistake, had no prior criminal convictions in either the U.S. or Jamaica, and posed no public safety risk to Jamaican communities. He requested the court hand down a non-custodial sentence rather than prison time.

    Before announcing sentencing, Parish Court Judge acknowledged that both the United States and Jamaica allow licensed medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries, but reminded Morales that cross-border importation still requires formal approval, regardless of domestic legal status. The judge also called out Morales’ “I’m no snitch” comment, noting that the phrase is widely associated with organized criminal activity and that Morales could have simply invoked his right to legal counsel instead of making the provocative statement.

    In the final sentencing, the court handed down four cumulative fines: $56,000 Jamaican dollars for possession of ganja (with 30 days prison in default of payment), $112,000 Jamaican dollars for dealing in ganja (30 days default), $112,000 Jamaican dollars for illegal importation of ganja (three months default), and $20,000 Jamaican dollars for making a false declaration (30 days default). The conspiracy charge against Morales was dismissed for lack of evidence.

  • Father, son arrested for arms, ammo

    Father, son arrested for arms, ammo

    Authorities in Guyana have apprehended a 53-year-old farmer and his two adult sons following the discovery of an unlicensed arsenal at their rural residence. The operation, conducted by the Guyana Police Force on March 7th, 2026, resulted in the seizure of multiple firearms and ammunition from the family’s property in Shea Village, South Rupununi.

    Law enforcement officials reported that the investigation led to the confiscation of two .22 caliber rifles, one 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun, and an airsoft rifle. Additionally, police recovered fourteen rounds of .22 ammunition and five 12-gauge cartridges during systematic searches of both the individuals and their premises.

    The suspects, aged 20, 22, and 53, voluntarily surrendered the weapons upon police contact and subsequently acknowledged their lack of proper firearm licensing documentation. Following initial questioning at the scene, the trio was transported to the Aishalton Police Station for processing before being transferred to the Lethem Police Station for further investigation.

    All confiscated items have been securely lodged as evidence pending comprehensive ballistic examination and formal charges. The case represents ongoing efforts by Guyanese authorities to combat illegal weapon possession in the country’s interior regions.

  • Suriname police arrest trio with fuel allegedly smuggled from Guyana

    Suriname police arrest trio with fuel allegedly smuggled from Guyana

    Surinamese law enforcement has apprehended three individuals on charges of illicit fuel trafficking from neighboring Guyana, marking a significant interception in regional border security operations. The arrests occurred Wednesday along the South Drain roadway following an intelligence-led operation.

    According to official statements from the Suriname Police Corps, authorities discovered approximately 1,000 liters of contraband petroleum products during a vehicle inspection. The seizure included 310 liters of gasoline and 690 liters of diesel fuel contained in multiple jerry cans. Forensic examination confirmed the fuel’s characteristics matched petroleum products commonly smuggled from Guyanese territory.

    The suspects, identified by initials KR (40), PN (38), and BP (48), were traveling in a pickup truck allegedly loaded through a sophisticated smuggling network. Investigation revealed the fuel had been transported via high-speed “Go Fast” watercraft before being transferred to the vehicle at a boat owner’s storage facility.

    Police investigators noted inconsistencies in suspect statements and presented documentation, raising suspicions of document forgery. The discrepancies in alleged invoices and transportation timelines prompted deeper scrutiny of the operation’s legitimacy.

    Following judicial consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, all three individuals remain in custody pending further investigation. The confiscated vehicle and fuel products have been impounded as evidence in the ongoing case. This interception highlights increasing collaboration between Surinamese and Guyanese authorities addressing cross-border petroleum smuggling networks exploiting regional price disparities.

  • Nazar “Shell” Mohamed falls ill, unable to attend extradition hearing

    Nazar “Shell” Mohamed falls ill, unable to attend extradition hearing

    A scheduled extradition hearing for prominent Guyanese businessman Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed was unexpectedly postponed on Monday, February 9, 2026, after the defendant reported falling seriously ill. The development has temporarily stalled judicial proceedings that would determine whether Mohamed and his son Azruddin should be extradited to the United States to face serious financial crime charges.

    Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman rescheduled the committal hearing for February 16, 2026, following representations from defense attorney Siand Dhurjon regarding Mohamed’s medical condition. The prosecution, led by Guyanese attorney Glenn Hanoman representing US interests, attempted to secure a commitment for formal medical documentation from Mohamed’s physician but was unsuccessful in this endeavor.

    The Mohamed family faces substantial allegations from US authorities, including charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, and international money laundering operations connected to their gold trading enterprises. These charges would be adjudicated in a federal court in Florida if extradition is approved.

    The hearing’s postponement additionally affected planned testimony from Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Sharon Roochand-Edwards, who was expected to undergo cross-examination. The absence of lead prosecutor Terrence Williams, a Jamaican attorney engaged in overseas commitments, further complicated the day’s proceedings.

    This case represents a significant international legal collaboration between Guyanese and American judicial authorities, highlighting increased cross-border enforcement efforts against sophisticated financial crimes.

  • Linden businesswoman, driver arrested for guns-in-ganja seizure- police

    Linden businesswoman, driver arrested for guns-in-ganja seizure- police

    In a significant law enforcement operation in Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden, authorities have apprehended a 42-year-old local businesswoman and a 36-year-old driver from Bamia, Soesdyke-Linden Highway. The Guyana Police Force announced the arrests on Sunday, February 8, 2026, following the discovery of an illegal arsenal and substantial narcotics cache.

    The operation unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning at approximately 1:30 AM when police, acting on intelligence, conducted a search of a motor lorry parked at the businesswoman’s residence. During their inspection, law enforcement officials uncovered 4.536 kilograms of marijuana concealed in a haversack behind the driver’s seat.

    Further investigation revealed an even more concerning discovery: three 9mm pistols and nine .32 caliber rounds of ammunition strategically hidden within the vehicle alongside the suspected cannabis. The weapons and ammunition were allegedly concealed in compartments designed to avoid detection.

    The simultaneous seizure of both firearms and narcotics suggests potential connections to broader criminal networks operating in the region. Police have launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the intended destination and purpose of these illegal items, as well as possible connections to other criminal activities.

    Both suspects remain in custody as authorities continue their investigation into what appears to be a sophisticated operation involving multiple illegal commodities. The case highlights ongoing concerns about weapon and drug trafficking in the region and represents a significant achievement for local law enforcement efforts.