Limited State of Emergency....

[D.H.W]

ah hear ah union man say it have 3 container ah drugs in point lisas right now and dat it belong to suit an tie men lewwe yes how dat goin dong considerin dat point Lisas was strangely neglected in all ah dis

tv6 say is 13 container

[D.H.W]

alyuh seeing them guns on tv6 now?? 

[Football supporter]

Black market price for stolen diesel: $2.5M
Thursday 8th September, 2011
 
The Acting Comptroller of Customs, Mr Anthony Chandler, has confirmed that the stolen diesel found in an abandoned scrap yard and in a derelict Taiwanese trawler off Sea Lots on August 23rd, amounted to 90,000 gallons and would have sold on the black market for $TT2.5 million.
 
Speaking at the Post Cabinet Media Briefing, Mr Chandler said the diesel was found on a Sea Lots compound which also doubles as a scrap metal business place.
 
"When the officers got there, they found several containers of fuel. They were contained in over 100 IBC tanks, those are the plastic tanks enclosed in a metal frame, each containing about 1,000 litres, that's about 250 gallons. In addition, there was a truck on the compound fitted with a diesel tank with 500 gallons of fuel. But the main find was just to the shoreline, where a derelict vessel, a discarded Taiwanese trawler, which was in fact being cut up as scrap to be exported. This process was apparently aborted for a different type of business and it was used in the storage tanks that were under the deck of that vessel. Those were the ballast tanks and cold storage tanks which would have been used to store a cache when those trawlers would have gone out. They were now converted into storage tanks and they contained approximately 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel."
 
Mr Chandler said several persons were arrested and the investigation is ongoing into the planned exportation of the fuel.
 
He also outlined the high price this combined 90,000 gallons of fuel would have fetched on the market: "With a value of just over TT$600,000, and that is at the subsidised price. I am advised that this would have sold on the black market at US$1.75 a gallon which will net something in the vicinity of TT$2.5 million to those persons who are engaged in that illegal trade."
http://www.ctntworld.com/LocalArticles.aspx?id=31512&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Just saw this on tv. They had laid pvc piping from containers on shore out to the ship and put a hose inside to refill containers. A real multi million dollar business. These scrap metal people whining about losing their business, but I wonder, how many pay tax, how many of their workers pay tax or get holiday pay etc? Some may be innocent, but we now know that scrap was used to make guns, guns were hidden under the scrap and now diesel being smuggled out. Plus, the scrap metal was an eyesore for any visitor entering Port of Spain from Piarco.

Scrap metal is traditionally a cash business and you can only probably make real money by side stepping tax etc. In England they say "where there's muck, there's brass" meaning most of the dirty jobs most people won't do can be lucrative. I very much doubt that these guys can provide the A.G. with receipts and accounts.

[Bakes]

Just saw this on tv. They had laid pvc piping from containers on shore out to the ship and put a hose inside to refill containers. A real multi million dollar business. These scrap metal people whining about losing their business, but I wonder, how many pay tax, how many of their workers pay tax or get holiday pay etc? Some may be innocent, but we now know that scrap was used to make guns, guns were hidden under the scrap and now diesel being smuggled out. Plus, the scrap metal was an eyesore for any visitor entering Port of Spain from Piarco.

Scrap metal is traditionally a cash business and you can only probably make real money by side stepping tax etc. In England they say "where there's muck, there's brass" meaning most of the dirty jobs most people won't do can be lucrative. I very much doubt that these guys can provide the A.G. with receipts and accounts.

I fail to see what any of this has to do with anything.

[Bakes]

Got it.

Uzi, Mack-10 among major arms found at Rincon

Police recovered 13 firearms, including an Uzi and a Mack-10, and a flare gun in an exercise at Rincon, Las Cuevas on Trinidad's North Coast on Thursday morning.
 
The raid took officers two miles into the forest where they recovered 1 Bushmaster, 1 Mack-10, 1 Uzi, 1 Tech-9, 2 self-loading rifles, 3 303-rifles, 1 .25-rifle and 4 pump action guns.
 
Among the items retrieved were 17 assorted magazines, over 10,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, 3 bullet proof vests, 2 ski masks and one kilogramme of marijuana,.

http://www.ctntworld.com/LocalArticles.aspx?id=31486&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Bakes]

Trying to connect a few dots here...

9 held, 7 guns seized in $700M coke bust *LINK*

Posted By: News

Date: 25, August 05, at 7:14 a.m.

By NALINEE SEELAL, newsday.co.tt

COCAINE with a street value of more than TT$700 million, seven guns and ammunition were seized during a sting operation at Monos Island by officers of the Coast Guard, the Special Anti-Crime Unit (SAUTT), and Western Division police yesterday.

Four Venezuelans, four Trinidadians and an Antiguan were arrested.

The nine suspects were taken to the St James Police Station where they were being quizzed up to late yesterday by officers of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU).

The guns were stored at the St James Police Station while the drugs, weighing 1749.9 kilogrammes, were taken to the OCNU office on Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain.

Police officers described the seizure of the drugs and cache of arms as the biggest for the year.

The guns seized included one 7.62 SLR, one mini UZI, one Glock, one Browning Pistol, one Baretta, one revolver and one AR-180 5.56 automatic rifle.

Officers also seized two magazines with 46 rounds, six rounds of .38 ammunition, 25 rounds of .380 in one magazine, 24 rounds in another two magazines, another 47 rounds in another magazine and 99 rounds in three magazines for a 7.62 weapon.

Police officers told Newsday that with the seizure of drugs and guns, they feel they may be able to make a breakthrough into a major drug trafficking operation at Monos Island. Officers believe the cocaine was supposed to be sold to American drug dealers.

The origin of the cocaine was traced to Venezuela, via Colombia.

Coast Guard sources revealed that the suspects had been under surveillance for a while based on key information received.

SAUTT officers, who are soon expected to receive their own fleet of speedboats, were informed by Coast Guard about the drug operation, and assisted in the exercise.

Officers surrounded a house at Monos Island early yesterday and staked out the area.

At about 3 am, the officers surrounded a house on the island, and conducted a search. A vessel was also searched and seized. The nine suspects were held during the massive cocaine seizure, while the guns and ammunition were later seized. The nine suspects will appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate today.

In a release sent yesterday, the Coast Guard revealed that the seizures resulted from a surveillance exercise to curtail illegal activities occurring on Monos Island.

Around 3 am yesterday, vessels were detected on radar and intercepted by Coast Guard sea crafts. Additional investigations led to the seizure of the cache of arms.

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt :

Koury's Body Found

Posted By: Ayinde

Date: 24, September 05, at 2:45 a.m.

In Response To: Hunt on for drug kingpin (News)

KOURY'S BODY FOUND

Headless corpse in Central orange field

The headless body of kidnap victim Dr Eddie Koury, the nephew of Health Minister John Rahael, was found yesterday in an orange field off Todd's Road, Chaguanas

The identity of the body was confirmed to the Express by Koury's cousin, George Hadeed.

Around 4 p.m. yesterday, a Todd's Road resident noticed a stench coming from an orange field in the area. He told other residents and together they found the body.

The body bore several stab wounds and was clothed in a pair of black pants and blue shirt, reportedly the same items worn by Koury the day he was kidnapped.

Police were up to last night searching for the head and the body was taken to the mortuary at the Port of Spain General Hospital.

Koury, who was the managing director of Isko Enterprises Ltd, an import and distribution company in Macoya, was kidnapped from his office at 7.45 a.m. on Wednesday by a group of five men who had earlier carjacked a taxi-driver and used his car as their getaway vehicle.

The kidnappers had stormed the Macoya Industrial Estate based company, threatened one of the workers with a gun as they entered Koury's office.

There was a struggle and the 38-year-old businessman was stabbed several times about the body. He was then dragged out of the office and bundled him into the trunk of the taxi.

Shortly after 8 o'clock that morning the blood stained taxi with its bedraggled driver, Ramsaran Samlal, was found at Orange Grove Extension Road in Tacarigua.

Hours later, police held five suspects from Tobago at a house in D'Abadie and seized a gun but up to last night, no charges had been laid against them.

Police had expressed doubt that Koury would have survived the multiple stabbing.

Koury's family, including his sister-in-law Karen Koury and his cousin George Hadeed held a press conference around 4 p.m. on Wednesday and pleaded with the kidnappers to "please release our Eddie. We know that he is hurt and we know that he is bleeding".

Police continued their search for Koury on Thursday using a National Security helicopter which was seen hovering over parts of east Trinidad including Curepe, Tunapuna, Tacarigua and Arouca.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index...s?id=103769755

Koury went to Colombia

Posted By: News

Date: 9, October 05, at 5:12 a.m

In Response To: Koury's Body Found (Ayinde)

Cops probe Egypt-trained Muslims, drugs and want to know why
Koury went to Colombia
... $50 worth of plastic bags, but panic prevents body from being cut into pieces; Rahael's nephew head dumped behind Gulf City

October 02, 2005

WHY did murdered businessman Dr. Eddie Koury travel to Colombia?

This is what local cops investigating his murder would like to find out.

And the cops are also reportedly probing a link with fundamental Muslims trained in Egypt.

Investigations have reportedly revealed that Koury, the nephew of Health Minister John Rahael, only returned from the cocaine capital of the world two weeks before he was “kidnapped” from his business- place, ISKO Ltd. at Macoya, Tunapuna and cruelly murdered.

However, investigators have not confirmed whether Koury went to Colombia for drug dealing.

“It may have been on legitimate business,” said a police source.

“After all, he was a wealthy businessman involved in the import-export trade.

“So we are still investigating.”

Koury was stabbed and when his body was found a few days later at Caparo, it was minus its head.

Sources told TnT Mirror that Koury's head may have been dumped somewhere in the Gulf City area, in a swamp.

“In fact, we have been told it was dumped in that area,” said a police source.

“So it is just a question of finding it, if that is still possible.”

The source added: “The aim was to cut up the body into parts and dumps them in various places.

“Fifty dollars worth of plastic bags had already been purchased to put the pieces of his body into for dumping.

“However, some panic may have taken place and only the head was cut off and dumped in the Gulf City area, while the rest of his body was dumped in central.”

The senior police source added: “But there are still many missing pieces to the murder.

“Yes, two men have been charged, but we still have a lot of investigating to do.

“Something just doesn't add up.

“In fact, our information is that the decapitation of Koury's body was never part of the plans for him.

“And we don't fully understand the Egypt fundamentalist Muslim link.

“Who did he really meet in Colombia?”

The source added: “Yes, we are also hearing about Koury having links about drugs Down the Islands, but that is still under probe.

“That Monos Islands drugs belonged to the Colombians and we also know that when it was seized the businessmen no longer wanted to pay for it, so we are also looking at that.”

The police source confirmed that a female had tipped them off to give them the first break in the case.

And that another youth was promised a trip to Egypt, to be trained in Islam.

Meanwhile, other underworld sources are also talking about a counterfeit dollars link.

“But the Syrian community is so closed-knit that it is difficult to get anything out of them,” the source added.

“We are also aware that Koury had plenty money so we don't understand the counterfeit link.

“No one is talking.

“Koury's death has left more questions than answers.”

BIG COKE WAR

Posted By: News
Date: 27, August 05, at 6:31 p.m.

Local Whites, Syrians in
BIG COKE WAR
... cartels fight led to $700m Monos Island drug bust

A SPITEFUL fall-out between two factions of a local drug syndicate has resulted in tit-for-tat squealing by rival factions.

That, according to a source close to both factions, is what led to Monday’s drug bust on Monos Island that netted 1.75 tonnes of pure cocaine with an estimated street value of $700 million.

A Uzi machine gun, four handguns, two assault rifles and 247 rounds of assorted ammunition were also seized in the raid on a house on the island.

The operation, which was spearheaded by the Coast Guard, also included officers from the Police Western Division, with intelligence support from the Special Anti-Crime Unit of TnT (SAUTT) and later involvement of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU).

Two Trinidadians, five Venezuelans and an Antiguan were arrested at the house, owned by a member of a prominent business family operating out of the Western Peninsula.

Four days earlier, an even bigger haul of some three tonnes of cocaine was intercepted on a boat off Venezuelan waters in a joint operation between the Venezuelan Coast Guard and the French Navy.

Intelligence reports have traced the intended destination of that shipment to Trinidad.

It is believed that the intended recipient was a Syrian-controlled faction of the powerful local syndicate that is now divided.

The other faction involves a local Portuguese/French Creole bourgeois grouping of business associates.

Individuals from both factions are well-endowed in the various business organisations.

Members of this bourgeois business group allegedly controlled the drug seized on Monos.

TnT Mirror understands that the Syrian drug mafia, which is able to assuage greater sway in the government than the rival faction, was responsible for spilling the beans because it was believed that the rival faction had something to do with the Venezuelan interception of its shipment.

Mirror understands that the seizure resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars by the Syrian side of the cartel. This loss led to the offended party using its political connections to have the other side of the split cartel suffer a similar fate.

Information was leaked about illegal drug trafficking taking place just a stone’s throw from the Coast Guard Headquarters, resulting in the major drug bust on Monos Island.

Monos is a luxury resort island with private holiday houses owned almost exclusively by well-known business families.

The imminent arrest of high profile persons connected to the Monos drug bust is expected to bring about major shifts in the underground illegal drug trade.

Intelligence reports suggests that the split between both groups had degenerated into a petty real estate dogfight, in which the Syrian-controlled faction was using its closeness to the government to prevent state rental of properties owned by members of the other side.

Cocaine is shipped out of Trinidad to European and North American destinations via air conditioning units, yachts, speedboats and containers.

It is sometimes routed through other Caribbean Islands on which members of the rival groups have a network of business operations.

http://www.tntmirror.com/friday/2005/aug26/story01.htm

Murder connected to Monos drug bust

Posted By: News

Date: 30, September 05, at 10:00 a.m.

War intensifies ...
Hit on Rahael
... nephew's murder connected to Monos drug bust, Bryden fire

TnT Mirror

HEALTH Minister John Rahael is the main target marked for execution by a cartel of local executives and Colombian traders.

But because security was around him, it made the hit difficult. The message was telegraphed loud and clear, with the decapitation of Dr. Edward Koury, the nephew of Rahael's wife.

This is the information gleaned by TnT Mirror from an undercover international intelligence source.

Koury was snatched last week Wednesday from his business place at ISKO Limited, Macoya Industrial Estate, Tunapuna.

His headless body was discovered two days later, dumped in an orange field in Caparo, near where Rahael's son-in-law has staked a claim to lease a piece of former Caroni 1975 Limited estate.

He was buried at Lapeyrouse Cemetery on Tuesday following a funeral service at St. Finbar's RC Church, Diego Martin.

At Press time, police was tipped off that the missing head was buried somewhere in Laventille Road, San Juan.

This follows futile searches at locations off Mosquito Creek, La Romaine.

Mirror was told that since the daring daylight attack on Dr. Koury, the wealthy Syrian community has been under a self-imposed lockdown with heavy security and bodyguard services employed.

It is understood that while family members are being shipped out to secure destinations abroad, "professionals" are being shipped into Trinidad to "take care of business" against the suspected perpetrators, who are reported to be high-ranking executives.

The Syrian mafia, Mirror was told, is bent on dealing with the big fishes in their own way, outside of the law.

With tension and emotions running high in what has been described as a major split in an elite local cartel, the deadly war for control of the multi-billion dollar drug-trade is expected to claim many more lives, a counter-drug agent told Mirror.

Agents are picking up intelligence on a possible connection between the recent $700 million Monos Island bust and multi-million dollar fire which destroyed the AS Bryden Warehouse in El Socorro.

Meanwhile, six persons appeared in the Tunapuna Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, charged in connection with Dr. Koury's murder.

Despite protestation by the lawyers, all were denied bail by Magistrate Indra Ramoo-Haynes.

Another person is believed to have agreed to turn State's witness.

Some sleuths are of the opinion that their investigations could easily be compromised with the lure of big money to lean the enquiries in a particular way and influence information flow to the media.

With an impending election breeze blowing towards a December poll date, feverish efforts are also being conjured in certain quarters to tag Dr. Koury's murder with a political label.

Family members have described Dr. Koury as a bright, successful businessman.

They are convinced that it was a robbery went awry and he was the wrong target.

Rahael, meanwhile, is reported to be considering his political future in the wake of the present situation, but Prime Minister Patrick Manning is alleged to have insisted that he should remain a Cabinet Minister, because it would send a wrong message to the jumpy population that the government was incapable of dealing with the runaway crime situation should he resign.

Reprinted for Fair Use Only from:
www.tntmirror.com/friday/2005/sept30/story01.htm

[Football supporter]

Trying to connect a few dots here...   I wasn't around when this happened, so, did they catch any big fish? Was there a war? Who did the house at Monos belong to, and were they prosecuted?

[fishs]

 When I was in QRC Chokolingo came to give us a lecture on newspaper business.
He lambasted the established media in those days which was TTT, about 3 radio stations and 3 other newspapers (really 2, evening news was guardian)
Anyhow when asked the question about the veracity of what the Mirror writes he replied that he provides information that sells.
When asked if his newspaper could be a comic strip he said that if that sells then call it a comic strip.
To quote "journalists" from the mirror is like going into an abbatoir and listening to butcher talk, I'm surprised Bakes !!!

[mukumsplau]

When I was in QRC Chokolingo came to give us a lecture on newspaper business.
He lambasted the established media in those days which was TTT, about 3 radio stations and 3 other newspapers (really 2, evening news was guardian)
Anyhow when asked the question about the veracity of what the Mirror writes he replied that he provides information that sells.
When asked if his newspaper could be a comic strip he said that if that sells then call it a comic strip.
To quote "journalists" from the mirror is like going into an abbatoir and listening to butcher talk, I'm surprised Bakes !!!

nothing is really off with that story. common knowledge actually. take things at face value at yuh own risk. like d container of children..that actually happened.

[sammy]

wow,

first time i pass through evelyn trace in El socorro since SOE, and the place doh have no pusher, user, piper, gangsta and limer.

I never though that the big boss there would've ever been arrested, over the years police men have lived around there, ass COP of transport have lived around there, everybody in san juan know the man.
It looked so strange but i glad.

PS tv6 bussing all the files since the controversy with SIA.

[Feliziano]

yes all that is true Bakes.. as I said earlier that bust and others round that time were cause of the Syrian vs Syrian/French creole rivalry
also i think John Rahael (PNM ) took Mirror to court for defamation etc and won
Khoury was his nephew

[Brownsugar]

did they catch any big fish?

To my knowledge NO.

Was there a war?

Nope...

Who did the house at Monos belong to, and were they prosecuted?

I cyar remember if the name of owner was ever made public but I know they were not prosecuted.....

[D.H.W]

Good going officers 

[NYtriniwhiteboy..]

the owner of the house is Fitzwilliam.
Now i dunno how many pple know this about down de island houses. The houses are barely ever used during the week. And many had/have caretakers. These caretakers eh paid shit. That is why many houses are used down de islands by those shipping in the drugs to store during the week. It real easy to offer a caretaker a $5000 to store drugs there as it plenty more than they being paid anyway!
If you doh believe me, go down d islands during the week and stay up one night. U will see the transfers being done in darkness at night between pirogues, hearing spanish and english being spoken. The boats come in with no running lights and signal each other. Monos is the best island for seeing this as Gasparee yuh have to pass closer to the coast guard.
But i hadda say i honestly believe that the fitzwilliams had no clue. But i biased cuz daz my family!
When that bust went down we were on our way to go to the house to have a weekend lime. Only reason we delayed a day was because i got in an accident and we were sorting that out.

[Brownsugar]

the owner of the house is Fitzwilliam.
Now i dunno how many pple know this about down de island houses. The houses are barely ever used during the week. And many had/have caretakers. These caretakers eh paid shit. That is why many houses are used down de islands by those shipping in the drugs to store during the week. It real easy to offer a caretaker a $5000 to store drugs there as it plenty more than they being paid anyway!
If you doh believe me, go down d islands during the week and stay up one night. U will see the transfers being done in darkness at night between pirogues, hearing spanish and english being spoken. The boats come in with no running lights and signal each other. Monos is the best island for seeing this as Gasparee yuh have to pass closer to the coast guard.
But i hadda say i honestly believe that the fitzwilliams had no clue. But i biased cuz daz my family!
When that bust went down we were on our way to go to the house to have a weekend lime. Only reason we delayed a day was because i got in an accident and we were sorting that out.

ooooooooohhhhh.........Interesting......

[Bakes]

When I was in QRC Chokolingo came to give us a lecture on newspaper business.
He lambasted the established media in those days which was TTT, about 3 radio stations and 3 other newspapers (really 2, evening news was guardian)
Anyhow when asked the question about the veracity of what the Mirror writes he replied that he provides information that sells.
When asked if his newspaper could be a comic strip he said that if that sells then call it a comic strip.
To quote "journalists" from the mirror is like going into an abbatoir and listening to butcher talk, I'm surprised Bakes !!!

The Mirror also printed the most intelligent and insightful commentary on Anand Ramlogan's reaction to the Facebook video posted by that 14-year old girl.  I not endorsing them... doh read them enough to know what their standards are, but I have no issue with what I read so far.

[Football supporter]

the owner of the house is Fitzwilliam.
Now i dunno how many pple know this about down de island houses. The houses are barely ever used during the week. And many had/have caretakers. These caretakers eh paid shit. That is why many houses are used down de islands by those shipping in the drugs to store during the week. It real easy to offer a caretaker a $5000 to store drugs there as it plenty more than they being paid anyway!
If you doh believe me, go down d islands during the week and stay up one night. U will see the transfers being done in darkness at night between pirogues, hearing spanish and english being spoken. The boats come in with no running lights and signal each other. Monos is the best island for seeing this as Gasparee yuh have to pass closer to the coast guard.
But i hadda say i honestly believe that the fitzwilliams had no clue. But i biased cuz daz my family!
When that bust went down we were on our way to go to the house to have a weekend lime. Only reason we delayed a day was because i got in an accident and we were sorting that out.

Boy, imagine that was now! if you had arrived at the house during the bust, they probably would have locked you all down for 4 months! Whats interesting is you describe the drugs situation like it was turtle watching lol
Like "you have to reach about 1 am. Stay real quiet in the shadows. You'll see them emerging onto the beach from the water"  
But if this is common knowledge, why aren't the coastguard there?

[Football supporter]

When I was in QRC Chokolingo came to give us a lecture on newspaper business.
He lambasted the established media in those days which was TTT, about 3 radio stations and 3 other newspapers (really 2, evening news was guardian)
Anyhow when asked the question about the veracity of what the Mirror writes he replied that he provides information that sells.
When asked if his newspaper could be a comic strip he said that if that sells then call it a comic strip.
To quote "journalists" from the mirror is like going into an abbatoir and listening to butcher talk, I'm surprised Bakes !!!

The Mirror also printed the most intelligent and insightful commentary on Anand Ramlogan's reaction to the Facebook video posted by that 14-year old girl.  I not endorsing them... doh read them enough to know what their standards are, but I have no issue with what I read so far.

As I said before, the owners have changed and the new editor announced that not only do they aim to challenge the big 3 in circulation, but they were non alligned politically and would embark on true investigative journalism.

[Socapro]

When I was in QRC Chokolingo came to give us a lecture on newspaper business.
He lambasted the established media in those days which was TTT, about 3 radio stations and 3 other newspapers (really 2, evening news was guardian)
Anyhow when asked the question about the veracity of what the Mirror writes he replied that he provides information that sells.
When asked if his newspaper could be a comic strip he said that if that sells then call it a comic strip.
To quote "journalists" from the mirror is like going into an abbatoir and listening to butcher talk, I'm surprised Bakes !!!

The Mirror also printed the most intelligent and insightful commentary on Anand Ramlogan's reaction to the Facebook video posted by that 14-year old girl.  I not endorsing them... doh read them enough to know what their standards are, but I have no issue with what I read so far.

In my opinion, this is a very good, well researched and balanced article!
The TnT Mirror is not that bad a newspaper after all if most of their articles are of this standard!!

http://www.tntmirror.com/2011/09/02/new-media-and-old-laws/

New media and old laws
By Maxie Cuffie - September 2nd 2011 11:59 PM

THE overblown rhetoric of Attorney General Anand Ramlogan over the YouTube video done by a 14-year-old girl demonstrates why it is important to ensure our rights are safely protected during this State of Emergency.
 
We have already stated that as concerned as we are about the crime affecting the society, the TnT Mirror does not intend to jump on the jingoistic bandwagon being propagated by the Government and intends to be extremely vigilant to ensure the rights of our citizens are not abused under the guise of fighting crime. If that causes us to run the risk of being seen as unpatriotic then so be it.
 
This brings us to the video posted by the 14-year-old girl. The AG, when he addressed the daily media briefing on the SoE, described it as a video which contained a threat to the Prime Minister’s life. In this he was aided by elements of the media who have continued to mischaracterise the nature of the video post and, in the case of the Express, also violated the rights of the child by posting her image on the front page of the newspaper.
 
Anyone who has seen the video, which is posted all over Facebook and YouTube, knows there is no such threat to the Prime Minister. The video is a crude dramatic performance by the bored teenager, who pretends to be a grandmother upset with the Prime Minister and the PP administration. It uses the old calypso trick of putting controversial views in the mouth of someone else.
 
What is disturbing about the video is not any presumed threat to the Prime Minister but the fact that it is laced with expletives and contains racial epithets that are generally considered abhorrent even by some of the people who use them. That they could be dispensed so liberally by an innocent-looking teen, even in a make-believe dramatic performance, must be of concern to first and foremost her parents. That she followed it up with a tearful apology is appropriate, but still deserving of whatever sanctions her parents would deem appropriate.
 
But how do we go from here to talk of Facebook police and laws dealing with incitement? There is no relationship between the local home-made video and those posted in the UK which attempted to incite riots and it is dangerous that under a state of emergency the Attorney General is attempting to use what is nothing more than a schoolgirl prank to introduce legislation to curtail freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
 
The new media tools available may expedite, amplify and democratise communications but this does not mean that they require special laws to constrain what is essentially freedom of expression. Free speech on the Internet should be as free as that in Woodford Square or in one’s bedroom depending on whether Facebook’s privacy settings are set to ‘public’ or ‘friends only’. And state of emergency or not, the AG has no right peering into anyone’s bedroom or chat-room.
 
It is also reprehensible that without any charges being laid against her and with the police commissioner struggling to say anything beyond the fact that the matter “is receiving the attention” of his officers, that the Attorney General should use a live television broadcast to tell the young girl to surrender herself to a police station. No warrant has been issued for her arrest and the AG was out of place to attempt to terrorise a child on national television. As despicable as her conduct was, it is important that we recognise that in a democracy, as the late Ronald Williams once said, we have several rights, foremost among them is the right to make an ass of oneself.
 
These rights are available to the AG as much as they are to misguided 14-year-olds.

[grimm01]

i eh no expert on guns, but some of them look rusty to the point of being ineffective. Look at the shotgun to the right of the picture on the Newsday cover, that is plenty rust. i will let the gun experts talk more about that, but sometimes ah can't help but wonder if these "big discoveries" of old guns is just the ruse to give the public ah bone and distract from the spanking brand new stuff that still on the streets.

[Socapro]

i eh no expert on guns, but some of them look rusty to the point of being ineffective. Look at the shotgun to the right of the picture on the Newsday cover, that is plenty rust. i will let the gun experts talk more about that, but sometimes ah can't help but wonder if these "big discoveries" of old guns is just the ruse to give the public ah bone and distract from the spanking brand new stuff that still on the streets.

Not only on the streets but probably still coming in at a higher rate than they are finding them old mostly useless guns!!

I hope the T&T public not taking this chain up so easy but at least they finding guns!!

Still waiting to see a few "BIG FISH" being taken in after their homes get raided or maybe most of them gone up the islands on holiday after being given enough notice that the SOE was coming and might affect their operations!!

[Football supporter]

This has been my point. Most of the guns found are giveawys. Home made shotguns and rusty old handguns. Most probably belong to people already dead or locked up. This latest haul was a good one, but we need to see the new stuff wrapped in oiled paper, carefully maintained. I feel these are just crumbs being thrown to keep the police busy and away from the real deal.

[Bakes]

i eh no expert on guns, but some of them look rusty to the point of being ineffective. Look at the shotgun to the right of the picture on the Newsday cover, that is plenty rust. i will let the gun experts talk more about that, but sometimes ah can't help but wonder if these "big discoveries" of old guns is just the ruse to give the public ah bone and distract from the spanking brand new stuff that still on the streets.

This has been my point. Most of the guns found are giveawys. Home made shotguns and rusty old handguns. Most probably belong to people already dead or locked up. This latest haul was a good one, but we need to see the new stuff wrapped in oiled paper, carefully maintained. I feel these are just crumbs being thrown to keep the police busy and away from the real deal.

To be honest, I thought thought the same and even made the same argument about the five guns they find yesterday or day before.  In all fairness though, in that guardian pic the policeman have ah Tec-9 in he left hand and ah Uzi in he right hand... dem eh no ole gun.  Throw out dem ole bolt-action self-loading rifles (SLRs) from earlier... that Las Cuevas haul is legitimate big gun that the owner didn't know what he was doing when he bury dem.  

I am no geologist, but I bet that soil either extra moist, extra salty (sea spray) or both.  Daft is de big gun expert here apparently, I go let him talk... but to your point dem gun and dem wasn't killing nobody (de shooter maybe, lol) in dem condition.  It have a reason why dem soldiers does spend so much time breaking down and cleaning dey gun... but thank God fuh dotish criminals, we need more ah dem gun jamming and blowing up in dey hand.

[Socapro]

This has been my point. Most of the guns found are giveawys. Home made shotguns and rusty old handguns. Most probably belong to people already dead or locked up. This latest haul was a good one, but we need to see the new stuff wrapped in oiled paper, carefully maintained. I feel these are just crumbs being thrown to keep the police busy and away from the real deal.

 

[Dutty]

i eh no expert on guns, but some of them look rusty to the point of being ineffective. Look at the shotgun to the right of the picture on the Newsday cover, that is plenty rust. i will let the gun experts talk more about that, but sometimes ah can't help but wonder if these "big discoveries" of old guns is just the ruse to give the public ah bone and distract from the spanking brand new stuff that still on the streets.

I now goto ask that...I thought is jus my computer screen but dem is some ole rusty rifle...even the high powered ting the officer holding is ah rust bucket
I glad they getting them out of circulation but dem ting eh no 'drug war' weapons

all of sudden I turnin into ah real pessimist oui

[elan]

i eh no expert on guns, but some of them look rusty to the point of being ineffective. Look at the shotgun to the right of the picture on the Newsday cover, that is plenty rust. i will let the gun experts talk more about that, but sometimes ah can't help but wonder if these "big discoveries" of old guns is just the ruse to give the public ah bone and distract from the spanking brand new stuff that still on the streets.

I now goto ask that...I thought is jus my computer screen but dem is some ole rusty rifle...even the high powered ting the officer holding is ah rust bucket
I glad they getting them out of circulation but dem ting eh no 'drug war' weapons

all of sudden I turnin into ah real pessimist oui

Them ammo eh even firing. Them thing lik ethey bury in the ground just so.

[elan]

the owner of the house is Fitzwilliam.
Now i dunno how many pple know this about down de island houses. The houses are barely ever used during the week. And many had/have caretakers. These caretakers eh paid shit. That is why many houses are used down de islands by those shipping in the drugs to store during the week. It real easy to offer a caretaker a $5000 to store drugs there as it plenty more than they being paid anyway!
If you doh believe me, go down d islands during the week and stay up one night. U will see the transfers being done in darkness at night between pirogues, hearing spanish and english being spoken. The boats come in with no running lights and signal each other. Monos is the best island for seeing this as Gasparee yuh have to pass closer to the coast guard.
But i hadda say i honestly believe that the fitzwilliams had no clue. But i biased cuz daz my family!
When that bust went down we were on our way to go to the house to have a weekend lime. Only reason we delayed a day was because i got in an accident and we were sorting that out.

I remember when I was in High school (stay with me here), meh pardna cousin  come with she man. Nobody eh know way she pick up this man. The man really trained, talking about in fighting, guns, driving etc. Now after a couple days, jus so he start asking we ( yutemen) who have dey passport. Well country people so de only passport I have is to go in town. But, meh pardna have he passport. The cousin boyfriend buy him ah ticket and take him with him to Antigua. Meh pardna say they sit in ah house on de beach with no lights and no furniture and ever so often flash ah light. They leave him in the house for ah while and then come back.

He return a few days later. Then a couple days later the cousin boyfriend come and pick him up and carry him in town - guess where - on de port. He say the fella have ah gun in he waist and liming with police officers (couple high ranking police) on de port and some customs officer. As youth men we really eh think about it, but as I got older I start putting it together and realizing what went down. I thank my stars I did not have a passport cause I would have gone too.

Couple months later, I think the cousin boyfriend and a couple of his people get lock up. Not sure what happen after that.

[NYtriniwhiteboy..]

elan i remember a fella i knew who at 16 had a decent boat (well had use of his parents decent boat) and was approached by some people at scotland bay to make a run to chac with them. He did it cuz they said they wud pay him. He ended up gettin a $2000. Next thing yuh knew he was making runs to venezuela for them, got caught up in the stupidness. Go believe the same fella got held up here in de UK with cocaine in his suitcase? In fact someone mentioned the case just the other day here on the forum.
Now my same cousin who i go down the islands with also had been approached when he was younger, yet he said no at the time cuz he was too nervous to take to random people to chac jusso.
Sometimes when yuh young yuh don't think about these things. It so easy to get chain up with the money at that age.

[capodetutticapi]

no one remember about 16 years ago a container was found in carib brewery grounds with cocaine weed and some US$.Sabga rush to the area,u neva hear bout it in the news or paper.

[weary1969]

no one remember about 16 years ago a container was found in carib brewery grounds with cocaine weed and some US$.Sabga rush to the area,u neva hear bout it in the news or paper.

A WPC tell me once her bff son was wukin deliverin Pizza a holidays 1 fall and it was d white stuff. They get so scared that dey post he up by Dutty and them.