An early morning joint effort by officers from the South Division, South Western Division, Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Guard and Emergency Branch and the T&T Defence Force led to four arrests in Enterprise, Chaguanas, yesterday. News of the arrests came even as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and top cops visited the area yesterday for an impromptu walkabout in the hot spot.
Even as Persad-Bissessar announced plans to launch Operation Restore 2, the deployment of a combined national security force in the Enterprise area, word came of the arrests that would go some way to easing the tight grip of crime on the community.
Central Division Snr Supt Johnny Abraham, yesterday, confirmed that four men were arrested in connection with the wave of gun violence in the Enterprise area over the past month.
The Sunday Guardian learned of the arrests through villagers gathered at Postman Grounds, Enterprise, yesterday, for an impromptu visit by Persad-Bissessar. Persad-Bissessar was surrounded by a tight knot of security which included Minister of National Security, retired brigadier general Carl Alfonso; acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams; Chief of Defence Staff Major General Kenrick Maharaj; Abraham; and an almost 20-vehicle convoy. She was joined by Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan and MP for the area, Stephen Cadiz.
“Based on intelligence gathered over the past couple weeks, the team went into action this morning (yesterday morning) at 4 am and made the four arrests,” Abraham said.
“We arrested the four main players who were causing havoc in the Central area,” he said.
Abraham said the men were also arrested in connection with more than ten shootings in the area, while one of them had also been under surveillance by the Criminal Gang Intelligence Unit.
“Those arrests will quiet it down now,” Abraham said.
Williams, who addressed the small gathering, said the continued joint effort by the sections of the protective services would allow the people in Enterprise to “enjoy life once again.”
“Walking and working hand in hand we surely can get that position that you are seeking out: peace and tranquility within your community,” he said.
Maharaj also added his vote of confidence that all would revert to peace in the Enterprise area. He said there were four objectives that the joint effort of the protective services aimed to achieve.
“One is the joint patrols with the police service, second is the confidence in patrols by the military, thirdly an engagement with the community in hearts and minds to ensure that we can have a full integration with the Enterprise community that we build and rebuild and strengthen confidence and trust in the Defence Force and the Police Service,” Maharaj said.
The Sunday Guardian learned that one of the men arrested is related to Selwyn “Robocop” Alexis and is known as a “leader” in the community, while the others are new to the Central area, coming from John John, Port-of-Spain.