Police have made a dent in the illegal transnational narcotics trade with the seizure of a high-speed, modified pirogue and the arrest of four Venezuelan men and two local nationals in Moruga over the weekend.
Police said the 40-foot pirogue was outfitted with two (250) horsepower and two (300) horsepower Yamaha engines, valued at more than $1.2 million on board the $300,000 vessel, and with barrels of fuel on board.
Investigators believe the pirogue had been modified for high-speed travel, as was a tactic commonly employed by traffickers seeking to evade detection.
A senior police officer told the Express that the vessel’s enhanced engine power would have allowed it to move swiftly across open waters and such modifications are often designed to outpace local law enforcement vessels during maritime pursuits.
The Venezuelan suspects included two men aged 40 and 24 of Maturin, and two men aged 35 and 32 years old of Guiria, a 68-year-old man of Moruga, and a 45-year-old man of Matelot.
Enquiries revealed that the 24-year-old Venezuelan suspect was previously deported by the Immigration Department.
Police said information was received of a transnational criminal syndicate attempting to smuggle illegal firearms, ammunition and narcotics into Trinidad via the Columbus Channel into the La Ruffin River and the operation was conducted from Friday 8 p.m. to Sunday.
Members of the Southern Division Task Force conducted surveillance along the river and observed the pirogue headed in a northern direction along the river.
On Saturday, the police teams discovered the vessel abandoned along the La Ruffin River steered by a man and five others on board.
Police said that the five passengers disembarked midway up the river, then walked to a white Nissan AD wagon parked with a driver along L’anse Mitan Road.
The pirogue sped away in a southerly direction.
Further surveillance also indicated that the wagon exited the L’anse Mitan Road and when headed along the Moruga Road, it was intercepted by members of the Southern Division Task Force (SDTF).
The five who allegedly disembarked from the boat and the driver of the wagon were detained.
Police said the wagon and the suspects were searched, but nothing illegal was found.
The occupants were arrested and conveyed to the Moruga Police Station for continued enquiries by an intelligence unit.
The next day, the vessel was found abandoned along the La Ruffin River with 26 barrels on board, some containing fuel, interconnected with hoses to the engines.
The exercise was coordinated by Snr Supt Simon, Supt Bertie, W/Supt Bridgelal, ASPs Ramsaran, Pacheco and Chulan, and officers of the SDTF, T&T Regiment, Coast Guard and an Intelligence unit of TTPS.
