ASP Ramesh Soodeen, the head of Port-of-Spain Division Area East, is cautioning the public to exercise caution in several areas of the capital city.
He revealed to a local T&T publication, Guardian Media, that thieves have been using social media to entice victims to the nation’s capital so they may loot them. He continued by saying that there were now four robberies occurring in the district every day, with an increase in jewelry snatchings.
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According to the ASP, Facebook Marketplace is being used to lure individuals to sites in East Port-of-Spain to buy things like cell phones and cars.
The latest incident came over the weekend when a guy went to Picadilly Street to sell a cell phone and was shot in the face.
He had his phone taken, was shot, and was harassed. Following treatment at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, the guy was allowed to go. The accused were taken into custody by the authorities.
Even though there have been at least five arrests each week, ASP Soodeen cautioned the public that police cannot be everywhere at once to stop crime. He advised people not to wear too much jewelry because of this.
“The next issue we are having is individuals coming to the city with large amounts of jewelry. It is anyone’s right to wear jewelry, but police officers in my division are dealing with reports of snatchings occurring daily. I want the public to use their discretion and be vigilant while in the city, especially on certain streets in the capital,” he noted.
The senior officer warned people to exercise caution who are old or unfamiliar with Port-of-Spain.
“These crimes are well-organized, as the perpetrators are working with teams and monitoring those who are vulnerable, especially the elderly and those who are unaware of the area they may be traversing.”
“We are seeing these incidents far too often, and we want especially those who are not familiar with the Port-of-Spain area to be aware, especially when coming into the city with large amounts of cash and jewelry,” Sooden explained.
According to police information, he said, the majority of the casualties did not come from the capital.
According to Soodeen, a recent incident involved a guy who went to the Beetham Landfill to complete a deal and lost over $30,000 in gold.
“I am making a call for all those who want to conduct business, especially from social media marketplaces, to go to any of our police stations. And for those coming into the city to be wary of wearing large amounts of jewelry and carrying cash,” ASP Soodeen stated.
