United National Congress Senator David Nakhid is calling for tighter security at commercial banks after he says he was followed from a Maraval bank branch and later had his car broken into outside a supermarket, and money and valuables stolen from the back seat of the vehicle on Monday.
He was robbed of $10,000 plus thousands more in perfume when a bandit broke into his car that was parked at the Cascade supermarket. The robbery took two minutes.
Police said around 4.15 p.m. Nakhid had parked and secured his black Mercedes-Benz at the car park of Simple Choice Mart and walked in.
After purchasing a few items, he walked out of the building at 4.17 p.m. and found that the rear right-side door glass had been smashed.
When he checked, he realised $10,000 was gone; and a Christian Dior perfume valued at $2,600 and another perfume valued $800 were also gone.
He also found some other items including, bank cards and identification cards, missing. He made a report to the Belmont Police Station.
Speaking with reporters yesterday outside Parliament in Port of Spain, Nakhid said the theft highlighted a troubling pattern of criminals targeting customers after banking transactions.
He urged law enforcement and financial institutions to take greater responsibility. “I was followed from the bank, no doubt,” he said, adding that CCTV footage and a witness account should assist police in identifying and apprehending the perpetrators.
Money for charity
While Nakhid acknowledged crime remained a persistent issue in Trinidad and Tobago, he dismissed any suggestion that the incident should be viewed through a political lens. “It doesn’t matter. This is a crime,” he said.
He said the stolen cash was intended for his monthly charitable efforts across communities along the East-West Corridor, where he assists people with hampers and utility payments.
“I’ve always said I’m willing to give the shirt off my back in charity…but I don’t accept to be violated by anybody,” he said, describing the incident as a violation and expressing confidence the suspects would be caught.
He also called on commercial banks to enhance security measures beyond their immediate premises, particularly in car parks where customers may be vulnerable after completing transactions.
“Security has to extend outside of the banks themselves,” Nakhid said, suggesting armed guards conduct regular patrols of parking areas and monitor suspicious activity.
Despite the incident, Nakhid said he did not feel unsafe, though he believed the incident was a cautionary tale for members of the public.
Police from the Belmont station responded to the report and have since maintained contact with him, he stated.
Nakhid commended the officers for their professionalism, but stressed that his primary concern remains the swift apprehension of those responsible.
“This is something circumstantial. It happened,” he said. “But I want to see these people caught.”
