标签： Trinidad and Tobago

Extortion has long evolved far beyond the brute-force shakedowns of small business owners that dominate public perception, according to a senior Trinidadian law enforcement official, who detailed increasingly sophisticated, exploitative criminal schemes preying on shame, fear and secrecy. The comments came hours after officers from the country’s Anti-Extortion Unit (AEU) took two suspects into custody at their separate residences in Caparo early yesterday, marking the latest progress in an ongoing crackdown on the pervasive crime.

Acting between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., a tactical AEU team led by Acting Commissioner of Police Richard Smith, and including Corporals Baksh and Rampersad, executed targeted raids at two addresses: one on Hall Street, just off Todds Road, and a second property directly on Todds Road. The two arrestees, aged 32 and 38, were transported to AEU headquarters in Chaguanas, where they remained in custody for questioning as of last night.

In an exclusive interview with the Express following the arrests, the unnamed senior AEU officer laid out one of the most common predatory new tactics: catfishing extortion via the popular LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr. He explained that perpetrators lure unsuspecting users into prearranged casual intimate encounters, secretly record the meeting, then demand cash payment to prevent the explicit footage from being shared publicly on social media. What makes this scheme so pernicious, the officer added, is that most victims are too afraid of social embarrassment to come forward and report the crime, even when the extortionists demand high-value payments. Multiple victims have already surrendered their vehicles to satisfy the extortionists’ demands, he confirmed.

Beyond the dating app scam, the officer outlined a second elaborate con that targets vulnerable people with deep pockets. Extortionists pose as hired contract killers, contacting their target to inform them that a third party has paid for their murder. They then offer to spare the victim’s life in exchange for paying off the value of the original contract, which typically ranges from $40,000 to $60,000. Once the victim pays that sum, the scammers double down, offering to kill the person who originally put the hit out – and demand a second, even larger payout for that service. Beyond these two high-profile schemes, the officer noted that a wide range of other extortion tactics are currently in use across the country.

The senior official also added a key caveat for law enforcement: not every reported extortion claim is legitimate. In some cases, people who claim to be extortion victims are actually attempting to avoid repaying debts they owe to third parties, misleading police to escape their financial obligations.

The arrests this week come amid persistent reports of traditional extortion still targeting small businesses across central Trinidad. Earlier this week, an Express reporter visited multiple popular vending hubs in the region, where several vendors privately admitted that criminals still regularly demand informal “protection taxes” to allow them to operate their stalls without harassment or violence. While many vendors reported no experience with such demands, a small but notable number confirmed they still face regular extortion threats.

A brazen armed robbery that has shocked local law enforcement unfolded Sunday night near the Port of Spain waterfront, when a dozen attackers boarded a moored cargo vessel and stole thousands of dollars in cash and personal and nautical valuables from three crew members. The unusual incident, which unfolded steps from one of the capital’s most high-profile hotels, marked an unprecedented act of maritime banditry in the heart of Trinidad’s capital, according to senior police officials.

The targeted vessel, the C Elizabeth II, was secured alongside a maintenance barge for routine repairs just a short distance from Trinidad’s Hyatt Regency hotel when the attack began at approximately 10:30 p.m. Authorities confirmed the 12 attackers were heavily armed, carrying not just firearms but also edged weapons including cutlasses and axes, as they stormed the ship and declared their robbery to the crew on board.

Three crew members were on the vessel during the boarding: the ship’s captain, a national of Grenada, one crew member from Malick, Barataria, and a third from St. Vincent. The gang stole a wide range of property from the men, including personal items like mobile phones, gold and silver jewelry, and cash, alongside critical nautical equipment. Among the stolen goods were a GPS navigation system, a 100-liter oxygen tank, a 100-liter gas tank, an inflatable dinghy and a small outboard engine. As of initial investigations, the total value of all stolen property has not yet been finalized.

After completing the robbery, the suspects fled the anchored vessel in a small pirogue, leaving the three crew members unharmed but shaken by the incident. In an unexpected twist that has baffled investigators, the stolen property was partially returned less than seven hours after the attack. The captain told police that at around 5 a.m. Monday, he spotted a group of men in a pirogue approaching the C Elizabeth II, who attached the previously stolen dinghy to the ship before departing the area again. When crew checked the returned dinghy, they found the stolen engine, gas tank and other stolen equipment inside it, still intact.

Local law enforcement personnel have launched a full investigation into the incident. Officers Cpl Balchan and PC Phillip were first on the scene, processing forensic evidence and documenting the site with photographs, while PC Dopwell officially logged the incident report and requested access to nearby closed-circuit television footage to identify the attackers. Investigators are still awaiting formal statements from the three victims, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Contacted for comment on the unprecedented robbery, a senior Trinidadian police official told reporters he could not recall any similar armed robbery of a cargo vessel occurring so close to the core of the capital city. Troy Persad, president of the Shipping Association of Trinidad and Tobago, confirmed the organization would launch its own internal review of the incident to assess port security and identify any gaps that allowed the attack to occur. Jearlean John, Trinidad’s Minister of Works and Infrastructure, which oversees port operations, stated she had not yet been briefed on the robbery when contacted for comment.

A shocking case of prolonged captivity and abuse has emerged in Trinidad and Tobago, where a 42-year-old domestic worker was held against her will and tortured for seven months, leading to the arrest of two suspects and a tearful emotional reunion with her family after her escape. Sabita Basdeo, the victim, told law enforcement officers that her captors repeatedly beat her, burned her body, and slammed her head into walls during her confinement at a private residence in Penal. The two people taken into custody on Saturday are a 38-year-old woman and her 17-year-old son, who are currently being held by police as investigators build their case, with charges including potential false imprisonment already on the table.

The case came to official attention after social activist and Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society Vice-President Edward Moodie spotted circulating online videos detailing the abuse allegations. Acting quickly to protect Basdeo, Moodie shared the footage of the assault and captivity with top regional and national security officials, including Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, and the senior superintendent of the local TTPS district. On the same day of the arrest, the two suspects brought Basdeo to Barrackpore Police Station, where she formally identified them as her abusers before being transferred to a local hospital for urgent medical care. She was treated for visible bruises covering her body and face, alongside other unexplained marks of harm from the months of abuse.

At the family’s home in Barrackpore’s Ramlal Road, off Platinite Trace, Basdeo’s husband 56-year-old Krishendeo Basdeo and 17-year-old son Brandon Basdeo spoke publicly yesterday through tears about their years-long separation and their fight for justice. Brandon, who had been cut off from his mother for years before her rescue, described the emotional first meeting at the police station over the weekend. “The police picked me up and carried me to the station. As she saw me, she started to cry. She said it was a long time she did not see me. She hugged me. She asked for my brother. He was outside the station and didn’t get to come inside. Then they carried her to the hospital,” he recounted.

Expressing deep anger at the suspects, Brandon Basdeo told reporters: “I hope they get locked up and never come out again.” Despite the trauma of the ordeal, the teenager said he felt overwhelming relief that his mother is finally free from harm. “I feel better seeing she, knowing she will be out of there. I know nobody will be beating she, doing she nuttin. She will be better and making she self stronger now. I am glad for her,” he said.

The family told reporters they had believed Basdeo was gainfully employed as a housekeeper for the suspects, and had no idea she was being held captive, abused, and denied pay for her work. On multiple occasions when they tried to visit Basdeo at the property, they were attacked and forced off the land. “Not knowing that she was being abused and people were taking advantage of her, not getting paid,” Brandon explained. “On two occasions, my father went there, and they beat him. Then about a month ago, I went there with a man to pick up some manure, and when (one of the suspects) saw me, (the suspect) hit me a slap on my back and run me out from the place. I left.” It was only when the family saw an online video of Basdeo roughly a month ago that they learned of the ongoing abuse, he added.

As of yesterday, the two suspects remain in police custody, and formal charges have not yet been filed. In a WhatsApp statement to the *Express*, TTPS Head of Corporate Communications ASP Joanne Archie confirmed that investigators are still working to document the full scope of the abuse, with ongoing interviews between Basdeo, investigative officers, and staff from the Victims and Witness Support Unit to gather all relevant evidence before charges are formally laid. Investigations are continuing to uncover all circumstances surrounding the seven-month captivity.

Trinidad and Tobago’s industrial and manufacturing community is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent figures, Wayne Yip Choy, who died by suicide at his Westmoorings residence on Tuesday. Local law enforcement officials confirmed that preliminary investigations place the time of death around 2 p.m. local time.

Yip Choy’s 40-plus year career left an indelible mark on the nation’s business landscape, starting with his first major appointment in 1976 as managing director of Sweetheart Cakes Ltd. The small bakery operation would eventually rebrand to become Kiss Baking Company Ltd, one of the most recognizable household food brands across the twin-island nation. Beyond the baking sector, he went on to lead the Caribbean Development Company in the same top executive role, and also served a term as president of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association, the leading industry body representing the country’s production sector.

Many industry observers point to his tenure at the helm of Angostura Holdings Ltd as the most high-profile chapter of his professional life. Yip Choy was brought in to lead the regional beverage and spirits conglomerate in 2009, stepping into the role immediately after the collapse of parent company CL Financial. At the time of his appointment, Angostura was saddled with massive unpaid debt and facing existential uncertainty, and Yip Choy was widely credited with steering the company through a successful financial turnaround that stabilized its operations and restored profitability.

His time at Angostura ended abruptly in 2011, however, amid a public and acrimonious dispute over performance-based compensation. Yip Choy claimed he was owed a $20 million performance bonus tied to the company’s improved financial results, a payment that Angostura’s leadership refused to authorize. The disagreement escalated into a lengthy legal battle that ultimately reached the nation’s High Court, where Justice James Aboud ruled fully in Yip Choy’s favor, awarding him $28 million in total compensation at the conclusion of the proceedings.

Outside of his core executive roles, Yip Choy also brought his decades of industry expertise to the boardrooms of two of the country’s leading construction materials firms, Readymix and Trinidad Cement Ltd, where he served as a board member for multiple terms. Tributes have begun to pour in from across Trinidad and Tobago’s business community this week, honoring Yip Choy’s decades of contributions to growing the nation’s manufacturing sector.

A post-mortem examination conducted Wednesday on the body of 7-year-old Angelica Jogie has confirmed that the young girl died as a result of multiple severe traumatic injuries, according to local law enforcement and medical officials in Tobago.

The forensic analysis was performed by leading pathologist Dr. Hubert Daisley at the Scarborough Mortuary, bringing official clarity to the cause of last week’s fatal incident that shocked the small coastal community. The tragedy unfolded on Pigeon Point Beach, one of Tobago’s most popular public recreational shorelines, when an out-of-control jet ski collided with Angelica, her father Arnold Jogie, and her uncle Darren Jogie last Wednesday. Angelica was pronounced dead at the scene, while her family members suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.

In the days following the incident, police took a 32-year-old jet ski operator, a resident of Canaan Feeder Road in Tobago, into custody as the primary person of interest connected to the collision. As of Wednesday, the suspect remained in police detention while investigators work to complete their evidentiary review. Once all case details are compiled, law enforcement officials confirmed the full investigative file will be forwarded to Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, who will make a final determination on what criminal charges, if any, will be filed.

Top regional officials have weighed in on the tragedy, expressing deep grief and calling for greater attention to recreational water safety. Orlando Kerr, Education Secretary for the Tobago House of Assembly, told reporters Wednesday that he is convinced this fatal outcome could have been prevented entirely. “It’s a tragedy, it is something that could have been avoided—totally could have been avoided,” Kerr said. Speaking from personal experience as a parent, he shared his sympathy for Angelica’s grieving family, noting, “I could only imagine what they are going through. It is going to be very difficult for them; I’m hoping that they would get some form of counselling.”

Kerr emphasized that preventable water-based accidents like this do not stem from gaps in legislation or regulation, but rather a need for greater consistent care and awareness among people operating recreational watercraft. “This has nothing to do with legislation or laws or nothing, is something just as human beings we have to be more concerned about people and people’s wellbeing. I think that it really is a tragedy,” he added. “Condolences to her family; but you know, it is really a loss of life at such a tender age…all that potential that has not been tapped—it is a sad thing, it is very sad.”

In the wake of Angelica’s death, the Tobago House of Assembly is coordinating logistical support to help the family complete funeral arrangements. Administrative teams are currently working to transfer Angelica’s body from Scarborough Mortuary back to Trinidad, where the young girl will receive her final burial rites according to her family’s wishes.

An independent oversight body has launched a official investigation into the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Shakeel Smart by law enforcement officers that took place late Sunday night in the Cascade community of Trinidad. David West, director of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), confirmed the ongoing enquiry to reporters this week, noting that Smart’s death marks the ninth fatal shooting involving police personnel in the country since the start of the calendar year.

According to initial accounts from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the incident unfolded just after 10 p.m. Sunday, when officers assigned to the Guard and Emergency Branch were conducting routine patrols along Cascade Main Road. During their patrol, the officers spotted a white Nissan AD Wagon carrying three male occupants that drew their attention. When the vehicle’s occupants noticed the police presence, the driver immediately accelerated away from the scene, triggering a high-speed pursuit that wound through local roads all the way to Hololo Mountain Road.

Police officials stated that during the cross-community chase, individuals inside the fleeing vehicle fired gunshots at the pursuing officers, prompting the officers to return fire in response. The pursuit came to a halt close to a private villa along Hololo Mountain Road, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed off the paved roadway. All three men exited the damaged vehicle immediately after the crash; two of the suspects managed to escape into the surrounding wooded terrain on foot, while Smart remained at the scene, having collapsed from his gunshot injuries.

Emergency medical responders transported the wounded Smart to Port of Spain General Hospital, but medical staff pronounced him dead upon his arrival at the facility. Law enforcement teams launched an immediate manhunt for the two remaining at-large suspects, but as of the latest update, no arrests have been made and the two men remain at large. A forensic post-mortem examination, scheduled to determine the exact cause and manner of Smart’s death, is set to be conducted this week at the Forensic Science Centre located in Federation Park. The PCA’s independent investigation will examine whether the officers’ use of deadly force complied with official police protocols and national law.

Early yesterday morning, a female jogger was attacked and bitten by two dogs, widely reported to be pitbulls, on Lady Chancellor Hill – a popular recreational trail adjacent to Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain, according to initial local reports.

Law enforcement officials confirmed they have received informal notification of the incident, which unfolded at approximately 6 a.m., but as of press time, the victim has not yet lodged a formal complaint with the Belmont Police Station.

In response to the attack, Superintendent Raymond Thom, head of the Port of Spain Police Division, ordered immediate stepped-up patrols on Lady Chancellor Hill. Thom also extended the enhanced security measures to other high-traffic outdoor exercise areas across Port of Spain, including Nelson Mandela Park and the broader Queen’s Park Savannah grounds. The move comes after months of repeated public complaints from recreational users about un-muzzled and untethered dogs roaming freely across these public spaces.

When reporters from the Express visited the Lady Chancellor Hill trail yesterday afternoon, most regular joggers they spoke to said they were aware of the morning attack but had no plans to abandon the trail, noting it remains one of the safest and most accessible places for outdoor fitness in the capital.

One couple who spoke to reporters said they learned of the attack shortly after it occurred, and drove up the hill specifically to check whether the aggressive dogs were still loose. “We were worried, so we drove up ahead of our walk to make sure the dogs weren’t here and the area was safe,” a woman in the couple explained. “But there will always be that lingering concern now, because this could happen to anyone at any time.”

A local jogger who asked to only be identified by his initials TC said he is a dog lover, but believes owners of potentially dangerous breeds have a non-negotiable responsibility to keep their animals contained in public. “Dogs really are man’s best friend, but owners need to stay with their pets at all times and keep them leashed so they can control them,” he said. “We all get to enjoy these public spaces, so it’s up to owners to make sure their pets don’t put other visitors at risk.”

The attack has brought renewed attention to the existing Dog Control Act enacted between 2013 and 2014, which outlines strict regulations for restricted breeds in Trinidad and Tobago. Under the legislation, six breeds classified as high-risk – including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa and Fila Brasileiro – are required to be licensed, carry a minimum of $250,000 in insurance coverage per animal, and remain muzzled and leashed any time they are in public spaces.

Owners who violate these rules by keeping unlicensed or unsecured restricted dogs face heavy penalties, ranging from fines of $50,000 to $100,000 to up to one year of imprisonment. If a restricted dog injures or kills a person, the animal’s owner is held fully legally liable for the outcome. The Act also grants police officers explicit authority to seize and impound any dog that is not kept in compliance with regulations. Seized dogs may be placed with a new responsible owner, transferred to a stray dog facility, or humanely euthanized by a licensed veterinarian if necessary.