Five men and a woman are expected to appear in court today in connection with last month’s $15 million jewelry heist at More Money (M&M) Pawn Shop in East Port-of-Spain.
The suspects, who include a former security guard last employed at the Henry Street branch, were arrested between last week Tuesday and this Sunday morning after investigators recovered a substantial quantity of the stolen loot during a series of raids on homes in East Port-of-Spain.
The suspects face various charges based on their alleged role in the well-executed robbery, police said. Those responsible for cutting through the roof and concrete walls and steel vaults were expected to be charged with larceny and breaking and entering, while the others, including the woman, were expected to be charged with receiving and being in possession of stolen items.
The suspects have been detained at the Port-of-Spain CID with lead investigator Cpl Anthony Williams expected to file the charges last night.
According to reports, employees discovered that the store had been robbed when they arrived in the morning to open it last week Monday. It was broken into sometime on the weekend.
The thieves entered through the roof via holes cut into the concrete ceiling. Using drills and blow torches, the burglars gained entry into the stores’ vaults and removed gold and other precious metals.
They also made off with the video-surveillance equipment.
They, however, left behind floor plans for the business place and several other businesses in the Port-of-Spain area.
The store has since agreed to pay affected customers 90 per cent of the value of their loan.
At the store’s opening for the first time since the robbery, last Thursday, armed police officers were called in to control a crowd of disgruntled customers who gathered in front demanding to be reimbursed.