By Vashtee Achibar Monday, September 5 2011

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CHASE ENDS: A robbery suspect lies in the tray of a police vehicle after being held yesterday following a high-speed chase with an SUV allegedly drive...

Crime Watch presenter Ian Alleyne was stopped and searched by police officers yesterday afternoon following a high-speed chase which began at Claxton Bay and ended near the Grand Bazaar intersection when his black SUV was finally intercepted.

Alleyne, another man and a former member of the Defence Force, said to be wanted in connection with several crimes, were order-ed to lie on the ground and searched. The ex-soldier was taken into custody while Alleyne and his associate were allowed to leave.

The drama unfolded shortly after 2 pm on Saturday when a businessman, Dennis Ramdeen reported to St Margaret’s police that he was robbed of his vehicle and $800 in cash at Willow’s scrap Iron Yard in Claxton Bay by two gunmen.

A police exercise comprising Southern Division Police headed by Inspector Ramphal Gosine, members of the Crime Suppression Unit, Inter Agency Task Force and a platoon of soldiers under the command of second Lieutenant Wright from the La Romaine camp with aerial assistance from the Viper one and two helicopters went into action.

Acting on information the officers went to a house in the Forres Park district where they conducted a search and found an Italian Baretta sub-machine gun, five pieces of camouflage clothes and two gun belts.

During the search, the occupant of the house managed to run off, and was picked up by a black SUV. It was this SUV that was hotly pursued by police up the northbound lane of the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, and onto the Uriah Butler Highway where it was finally cornered by police.

The officers were shocked to see Crime Watch presenter, Ian Alleyne in the driver’s seat. Police searched the vehicle and Alleyne was allowed to leave.

The suspect from Claxton Bay was taken into custody. During the exercise which was spearheaded by Senior Supt Deodath Dulalchan and ASP Zamsheed Mohammed of the Southern Division, officers also seized a Winchester rifle.