(Trinidad Guardian) – Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert led a team of officers from the North Eastern Division on Saturday and arrested three police officers accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of protected birds, reptiles and wild meat.
The officers, who have a total of 54 years’ service, were held on Saturday at their homes in Tableland and Princes Town. Up to late yesterday, the officers—a police corporal and two constables—remained in custody at the Barataria Police Station. It is alleged that last Tuesday, the officers, who are attached to a police station in south Trinidad, robbed two men of a large quantity of protected birds, reptiles and wild meat.
According to investigators, the officers who were on duty at the station went to a beach at La Lune Village, Moruga, after they received information that two men came from Venezuela with a boat loaded with protected animals. It is alleged that the officers, who were dressed in police uniforms and in a marked police vehicle, went to the beach where they spotted the men, and at gunpoint, robbed them of more than 500 bull finches, 300 picoplats, 400 pounds of wild meat, monkeys, parrots, macaws and other animals. Investigators said the officers loaded the items into the police vehicle and left the scene. It is alleged that the policemen shared the items with some of their colleagues.
Game wardens were notified and they went to the home of other officers and recovered a number of animals. The animals were now at the Emperor Valley Zoo in Port-of-Spain. A report was made to the police and Philbert was notified. Around 12 noon on Saturday, according to police, Philbert hand-picked a team of officers from the North Eastern Division Task Force, CID and High Performance Team led by ASP Stephen Ramsubhag and Sgt Roger Alexander who executed several search warrants at homes belonging to officers living in Tableland, Santa Flora Princess Town and Moruga. A blue and green parrot was recovered at the home of one of the officers.
Investigators also said they believed the other endangered species were moved moments before the officers began their search. Police said they did not have a clue as to what they were looking for. “All we were told is to go to Moruga and conduct several searches, said an officer. One of the victims in the robbery accompanied the officers and led them to some of the houses where the animals were being kept. The suspects, ages 29, 35 and 40, were expected to be placed on identification parades at the Barataria Police Station.
The exercise came hours after Philbert, on Saturday, at the passing-out parade of a batch of recruits into the Police Service, warned officers about joining criminal elements. He told the officers, “As you are about to enter the field of practical work, I must impress on you the importance of image. Today, we look upon you all sparking white (ceremonial uniforms). That colour represents integrity and character which you shall display throughout your service with the T&T Police Service.”
