(Trinidad Guardian) A nationwide manhunt was up to last night continuing for a suspect in yesterday’s explosion at the Parkade, Government Campus, Port-of-Spain, which left parts of the capital city cordoned off from pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Investigators told Guardian Media that they have an investigative lead from Closed Circuit Television Video CCTV from buildings in the area and an arrest could be imminent for a suspect or suspects.
Guardian Media understands that just minutes to 11 am staff and other persons at the Parkade heard a loud explosion in the vicinity of the Government Campus at Parkade located between Edward and Richmond Streets.
The explosion led to panic among customers at the facility attempting to get to their vehicles.
Within 10 minutes, fire and police officials responded and streets were closed. Businesses and Government Ministries were told to evacuate and closed their doors for the rest of the day.
After an hour, officers of the Special Branch and Central Police Station conducted investigations at the Government Plaza and the Office of the Attorney General with regards to reports of an explosion heard at the Government Plaza Building.
Guardian Media was told that the investigative team revealed that a device that appears to be some modified firecrackers was found and it was detonated.
Luckily, no one was injured, however, the only confirmed damage that occurred was to the dustbin, in which the device was placed.
In 2019, there was a similar report at the Parkade and there was an explosion, where personnel from the Explosive Detection and Disposal Unit (EDDU) attached to Special Branch were called in and a device was found back then.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob denied the claims of an attack on the building of the Attorney General which is obliquely opposite to the Parkade where the device was detonated.
He added, “In order to decipher there was any sort of projectile that came from a firearm at the Attorney General Office, we had cause to use a drone and from what we discovered there was no such situation existing there was in fact a crack glass pane but it had nothing to do with any projectile.”
Jacob said the police can safely conclude that what happened at the Parkade is something totally separate from the crack on the glass at the Attorney General’s office.
He confirmed that there is currently a manhunt for the suspect or suspects.
“From CCTV and we doing the work to ascertain the suspects of this crime but at this time we dont have all the information as the investigation is ongoing, however, what I can say is that the device that was found in the bin that exploded was an antiquated piece of device fitted with some firecrackers and it created no damage to anyone or to property”, the Deputy Commissioner stated.
He also said the panic which was caused in the capital city was the professional manner in which the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service followed international standards in dealing with the report at the Parkade and that is done to ensure the safety and security of the people therefore roads were blocked off and traffic diverted along with persons being evacuated to ensure their safety.
He said, “Sometime in the past, a device was found at this said location and there seems to have persons who seem bent on creating hysteria within our country and are they jealous and envious as to what is happening in other countries and I think this is something that we should not pattern and persons seem to pattern things that they tend to see abroad”, Jacob said, “It creates a high level of negativity in our country and what we are asking persons to refrain from that sought of behaviour because it is not doing good for our country”.
The Deputy Commissioner also commented on a voice note circulating on social media on the weekend that eluded to attacks on the Besson Street Police Station and other incidents of crime in the capital city, he said, “Persons are now using technology and social media in a negative way to affect the safety. security and the proper mindset of our people and we are doing our investigation to unearth the people responsible for causing this within our country and we will definitely bring them to justice and we have appointed an investigator”.
He added that since the occurrence happen in the parkade more than once the police now has to look at ways of increasing policing in those areas.
Jacob said more police presence is not always the answer but there must be collaborative effort even by the campus to up security and looks at various tactics and methods to arrest and deter such occurrences.
Investigations are continuing into these occurrences.
