Friday, January 11 2013

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SEIZED: Inspector Sahadeo Singh displays the deadly M16A assault rifle found in a house in Beetham Gardens yesterday. ...

AN AUTOMATIC assault rifle — the kind typically used by the American Military — was seized yesterday morning during a police exercise in Beetham. A M16A assault rifle, capable of both full automatic bursts of gunfire as well as semi-automatic bursts was seized along with 18 rounds of 5.56 ammunition.

The illegal items were discovered behind a house in Phase Five, Beetham Gardens near the vehicle maintainance company (VMCOTT) compound. No one was arrested following the discovery of the high powered rifle, a discovery which has left senior police officers very concerned.

“This weapon is a new weapon and a quite serviceable one, with some very high calibre rounds of ammunition, which would be very detrimental against any target if it was discharged and could easily take innocent lives if it is discharged in public.

“It is to this end that we want to publicaly commend Inspector Sahadeo Singh and the officers involved in this exercise and tell them we are very grateful and hope they keep up the good work, and continue to remove illegal firearms off of the street,” stated head of the Port-of-Spain Division, Senior Superintendent Stephen Ramsubhag.

Ramsubhag noted that this is the fifth illegal firearm seized in his division for the week. The exercise, which began at about 11 pm on Wednesday and ended at about 8 am yesterday, was spearheaded by Ramsubhag, co-ordinated by Senior Superintendent Wayne Boyd and Senior Superintendent Carlton Alleyne and led by Singh of the Besson Street Police Station. It also included members of the Inter Agency Task Force, the Guard and Emergency Branch, the Court and Process Branch, the K9 Branch, the Port-of-Spain CID, and the Besson Street Police Station. During the exercise, 18 persons between the ages of 18 and 48 were also arrested for varying offences.