By ALEXANDER BRUZUAL Wednesday, October 28 2009

THE brother of two police officers remains in police custody after being identified as one of two men involved in the robbery on Sunday of the Mi5 Security Company in Woodbrook in which 13 firearms were stolen. The suspect whose brothers are polcicemen, is said to be from Couva and was held on Monday by police.

It is believed the suspect used a police uniform belonging to one of his brothers, without that person’s knowledge and consent, to impersonate a police officer, to carry out the robbery. It was also revealed that other suspects including a former employee of Mi5, were in custody.

Police sources yesterday said that although eight weapons were recovered on Monday night in Couva and St Joseph, only one was verified as being among the 13 stolen from Mi5. Cross-referencing of serial numbers was being done on the other seven weapons to see if they belong to Mi5.

Searches were carried out yesterday in several locations throughout north, south, central and west Trinidad. Officers from various State agencies, including the North Eastern, Central and Northern Division Task Force, Guard and Emergency Branch, Anti-Kidnaping Unit, Port-of-Spain CID and the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau in an attempt to recover the Mi5 guns still unaccounted for.

Acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert yesterday expressed confidence that enquiries would be concluded soon and the outstanding weapons recovered and persons arrested. “I expect there would be a very successful outcome,” Philbert said.

On Sunday, two men — one dressed in partial police uniform and the other in Mi5 operational wear held up a female security officer on sentry duty at the security firm. The woman was beaten by the men one of whom is said to be a former Mi5 employee before the intruders seized 12 firearms and a shotgun from a vault below the counter.

The missing weapons include 11 nine-millimetre semi-automatic pistols, one shotgun and one .357 revolver.