April 30, 2021
By Kimberly Ramkhalawan
kramkhalawan@caribmagplus.com
The recent find of a large quantity of ammunition and heavy artillery in a warehouse in Central Trinidad prompted an opined article in the Trinidad Express to question whether Trinidad and Tobago is on the verge of another attempted coup.
The article went on to describe the latest haul of weapons which comes following another major bust at the Piarco International Airport last Thursday, which saw major arms and ammunition seized by local Police and Customs, similar to the number of weapons that was able to enter the country prior to the 1990 insurrection by the Jamaat al-Muslimeen group, which it says was able to gain entry due to rogue customs officers.
Thursday’s seizure saw not only an assortment of high-powered artillery but fake police sirens and blue police lights, a bullet-proof vest, and a variety of magazines. In a release coming out from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the local cops say intelligence from their foreign counterparts pointed them to be on the lookout for the arrival of the shipment since March 15th.
But on the night of April 25, another large quantity would be uncovered, this time at a warehouse in Couva (Central Trinidad). Intelligence received by the Special Investigations Unit, suggest that a container with household appliances was imported into country and had been at the warehouse. It added that the items had entered the country sometime in late February. Several guns and a large quantity of ammunition of various calibers were discovered.
Police Commissioner, Gary Griffith, remarked that the bullets for these guns were armour piercing and that the amount seized indicates that someone was preparing for a war.
But the statement and discovery comes even as the US Embassy issued a travel advisory to its citizens within Trinidad and Tobago to “exercise caution in Trinidad and Tobago due to crime, terrorism and kidnappings”.
It urged US government personnel not to travel to listed areas, Laventille, Beetham, Sea Lots, Cocorite, and the interior of Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain due to violent crimes, such as murder, robbery, assault, sexual assault, home invasion, and kidnapping, which it added is common. The embassy went on to list Gang activity, such as narcotics trafficking, also as common, with a significant portion of violent crime as gang-related. While it added that a terrorist attack was possible with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.
While Trinidad and Tobago has not had a major attack since the 1990 coup which resulted in the storming of its media houses and parliament, the warning issued by the US embassy based in the Trinidad capital city of Port of Spain, caused the TT Government to issue a rebuttal against the use of the word ‘terrorism’. In a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister, while acknowledging the need to advise its citizens within foreign territories and that similar advisories were issued to some 130 other countries, it did take umbrage with the term ‘terrorism’ applied to Trinidad and Tobago. It added that it was “not a specific feature of any current threat within our shores. We would expect that the United States, which is not unfamiliar with the face of homegrown terrorism, would reconsider the association of such a term with Trinidad and Tobago as it certainly does not accurately reflect the local realities”.
A tit-for-tat commenced with the Opposition party, the UNC, the government and the US Embassy after the United National Congress took the US embassy’s statement to pinpoint that the areas highlighted as ‘hotspots’ in its advisory as constituencies that have been longed ruled by the governing party, the PNM for 65 years.
The US embassy quickly dismissed the UNC’s statements and sought to clarify that its statement was apolitical and does not take sides with any of the parties involved in local politics, while the Office of the PM described the Opposition’s statements as done in “obscene haste to seize upon any opportunity for political mischief and misinformation, they have sought to make political benefit out of another serious national issue”.
Opposition Member, Dr.Roodal Moonilal responded to both the PNM and US embassy’s claims by saying “that while travel advisories against Trinidad and Tobago was not something new, it was the first time a level four warning had been issued”. He added that the statement made by the opposition was merely an observation by the party and urged the US Embassy to be cautious with terms it used against Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Moonilal continued stating that there was “no need to make a mountain of a molehill by questioning the United National Congress’ observation.”
But while local leaders have dismissed the idea of terrorist acts imminent in Trinidad and Tobago, the latest seizure of arms and ammunition points to its possibility. According to DCP Mc Donald Jacob, who made statements following the seizures of guns, local law enforcement was being assisted by US agencies – the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms unit (ATF) and Homeland Security. In recent weeks, during a regional security meeting held two weeks ago, both entities offered support to TT and the wider Caribbean for battling gun-related offences.
While one local talk show announced that the US Department of Homeland Security was looking to establish offices locally after the major haul of weapons entering the country, nothing substantial to verify this could be found on the US Embassy’s website.
Last October, the embassy deferred any talks of deportation of Venezuelans from the United States via Trinidad and Tobago, to the Department of Homeland Security. Then-National Security Minister, Stuart Young, had said he was unaware of such a move, something Opposition Member Dr.Roodal Moonilal described as shameful since the local public only became aware when it was disclosed by a senator Washington, Bob Menendez.
Trinidad and Tobago signed onto the Arms Trade Treaty back in 2013, which aims at bringing an end to the movement of arms and ammunition across borders.