(Trinidad Guardian) Port-of-Spain Division Area East head, ASP Ramesh Soodeen, is warning citizens to be wary of certain parts of the capital city.
Yesterday, he told Guardian Media that criminals had been luring people, via social media, to the capital city to be robbed. He added that the district was now witnessing four robberies a day, which included a rise in jewellery snatchings.
The ASP explained that people are being enticed to locations in east Port-of-Spain via Facebook Marketplace to purchase items such as cars and cellphones.
The most recent incident was reported over the weekend, when one man was shot in the face after he went to Picadilly Street to sell a cellphone.
He was accosted, shot and his cellphone stolen. The man was treated at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and has since been discharged. Police arrested the suspects.
ASP Soodeen added that while police have been making arrests, at least five a week, he warned citizens that officers cannot be everywhere to prevent crime. This is why he warned people against wearing excessive jewellery.
“The next issue we are having is individuals coming to the city with large amounts of jewellery. It is anyone’s right to wear jewellery, but police officers in my division are dealing with reports of snatchings occurring on a daily basis. I want the public to use their discretion and be vigilant while in the city, especially on certain streets in the capital,” he said.
The senior officer called on the elderly and those not familiar with Port-of-Spain to be vigilant.
“These crimes are well-organised, 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 jewellery,” Sooden explained.
He added that based on police reports, most of the victims were not from the capital.
Soodeen revealed that in a recent incident, one man lost over $30,000 in gold when he went to the Beetham Landfill to make a transaction.
“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 jewellery and carrying cash,” ASP Soodeen said.