By INDARJIT SEURAJ Wednesday, August 12 2009

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GUNS FOUND: The Venezuelan-made 12-gauge shot gun and the 7.26 rifle, together with the ammunition seized by North Eastern Division Task Force officer...

Officers of the North Eastern Division Task Force (NEDTF) were yesterday praised by Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert for their work in retrieving two high-powered firearms in Morvant.

“I am extremely elated. I am so happy about that,” Philbert said during a phone interview yesterday.

He added, “I am glad that there are still police officers who will take up the mantle, and try to rebuild public trust in the Police Service.”

He said the officers worked well, risking their lives in the line of fire to ensure that two more illegal guns were pulled off the streets.

“I have personally commended them on the spot last night (Monday night),” he added.

Reports are at about 8 pm Monday, a team of NEDTF officers led by Sgt Roger Alexander and Cpl Darryl La Pierre, and including PCs Reynaldo Cielto, Jason Lavia, Aaron Roberts and Ryan Duncan, went on enquiries at Vegas, Morvant.

They had only just received information from Commissioner Philbert.

On arriving there, they confronted a group of men who started firing at them.

The officers returned fire and chased the suspects who escaped by jumping down a nearby precipice, leaving behind the two firearms which were retrieved by the officers.

None of the officers were hurt during the exchange of gunfire.

Investigators believe the Venezuelan-made 12-gauge shot gun and the 7.26 calibre rifle are just part of a cache of firearms belonging to a gang in the Vegas area.

The shotgun was loaded with six rounds of ammunition, while the rifle contained nine.

Philbert was also high in praise for the team of Southern Division officers led by Snr Supt Lovell, who found a “brand new” pump action shot gun buried on the coastline in Cedros. “And they will continue to search because this shows that there is something going on down there,” said Philbert.

He also urged the public not to be daunted by recent developments which have cast a shadow on the Police Service.

The weapons are expected to be sent to the Special Anti-Crime Unit of TT (Sautt) for ballistics testing, as well as for matching on the Sautt database.