Lead Editor-Politics
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is urging citizens to remain calm and carry on with their daily activities, following a wave of bomb threats reported across Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday.
Persad-Bissessar, who chairs the National Security Council (NSC), yesterday described the threats as a waste of national security resources but stressed that authorities are treating every report seriously.
Her comments came after security agencies were placed on high alert when 11 bomb threats were reported at multiple locations, including eight magistrates’ courts, a shopping plaza and a government ministry.
Guardian Media contacted the Prime Minister via WhatsApp yesterday and asked whether the incidents were a cause for concern.
“It’s a waste of national security resources,” Persad-Bissessar responded.
Asked specifically, in her capacity as chair of the NSC, whether intelligence suggested the incidents were acts of mischief or credible threats to national security, the Prime Minister said authorities could not afford to dismiss them.
“It may be mischief, but all threats are taken seriously,” she said.
Asked what message she had for citizens who may be unsettled by the string of threats, Persad-Bissessar responded: “Go about your business as you would normally do.”
She was also asked whether the incidents strengthened the case for another extension of the State of Emergency (SoE).
“That question is not applicable at this time,” the Prime Minister replied.
The current SoE is scheduled to expire on September 17.
The threats prompted heightened security measures on Wednesday, with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) activating security protocols and deploying officers to conduct checks at affected locations.
Among the sites identified by police were the Arima, Chaguanas, Couva, Point Fortin, Princes Town, San Fernando, Sangre Grande and Siparia Magistrates’ Courts, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government in Maraval, the Valpark Shopping Plaza and the judicial building in Bacolet, Tobago.
International attention
The incidents also attracted international attention, with the South Korean Embassy issuing an advisory to its nationals following the threats.
In a notice dated August 19, the embassy said bomb threats had been reported across T&T and advised South Korean residents and visitors to avoid affected locations and exercise caution.
The embassy also urged its nationals to stay away from areas with high crime rates and avoid unnecessary nighttime travel.
Police have meanwhile urged the public to remain calm, avoid areas where security operations are underway, and comply with the instructions of law enforcement officers.
Investigations into the threats are continuing.
