Acting immediately after it was brought to their attention, officers from the Tunapuna CID and the Northern Division Task Force West carried out a massive operation between 8.30 am and 10.30 am on April 10—at Monte Grande, Tunapuna; and Basanta Trace, St John’s Road, St Augustine—and recovered a total of 23 cameras.
Guardian Media obtained a document which confirmed 13 cameras had been recovered throughout Monte Grande, while ten were recovered along St John’s Road.
The cameras had been illegally mounted on utility poles belonging to the T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC). Some of them were mounted in close proximity to bona fide security cameras which are part of the national security network.
Additional information revealed that a raid had also been carried out at Bangladesh, St Joseph, where a quantity of electronic devices were also confiscated.
The location is believed to be a monitoring hub, since it was said to have been outfitted with two large television screens which showed a total of 62 cameras recording live feeds of the three police stations in the NCD, including the St Joseph Police Station, the Tunapuna Police Station and the Arouca Police Station.
It is believed the surveillance equipment was installed over a period of time by a criminal gang operating out of East Trinidad.
The expansive outfit was reportedly used to monitor the activity at the stations, including patrol times; recording officers arriving and leaving; when persons were detained and released; the license plates and location of marked and unmarked police vehicles in the respective districts; and was allegedly also used by the gang to provide a level of protection for their members who need to visit the stations as part of their bail arrangements.
According to the document, “The operation focused on the removal of surveillance cameras mounted on T&TEC light poles in the Monte Grande, Tunapuna area and Basanta Trace, St John Road without the permission of T&TEC.”
It noted that permission to mount any surveillance cameras or any other items must be given by T&TEC in writing and the devices discovered clearly were not certified by the Ministry of National Security.
The police were accompanied on the operation by T&TEC Estate Officers and the T&TEC Emergency Unit.
During the exercise, an investigator with T&TEC pointed out which cameras had been installed without the permission of the commission, which were then removed by the police.
T&TEC officials also advised residents in both areas on the correct procedure to be adopted to obtain permission to mount surveillance cameras on T&TEC light poles.
Guardian Media understands that NCD Snr Supt Richard Smith met with Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher on Friday to apprise her of the shocking discovery, and to provide an update on the unfolding investigation
According to officials, “The cameras were mounted on the T&TEC light poles by gang members in the mentioned areas to view police officers entering the area.
“Lookouts would then alert gang members who may have illegal firearms and narcotics in their possession, thereby thwarting the efforts of law enforcement.”
No one has been arrested in connection with the seizures.
