Guardian ( Trinidad and Tobago )
08 July 2024 ( Page 8 )
Figueira: Drug trade and illegal quarrying are contributors
Criminologist Daurius Figueira said while squatting may be responsible for
part of the uptick in crime in eastern communities, it was not the only
factor to consider. Figueira said changes in crime trends in the East have
been noticed since as early as 2017, noting that the drug trade and illegal
quarrying have also contributed to the region’s crime problems. He added
that spillover of crime from areas in the neighbouring Northern Division
(Arima, Cumuto, and Wallerfield) and the North-Central Division (Arouca,
Tunapuna, St Joseph) also significantly impacted the region’s crime
challenges.
“There have been other developments in the Eastern Division that have
led to the crime challenges, including the rise of illegal quarrying and the
violence emanating from the illicit trades, so that is how the situation is
complex with the Eastern Division.”
Police sources said Trinidad’s east coast has long been a point of entry for
cocaine shipments, with multiple instances of the drugs washing ashore
onto Mayaro beaches over the years. In the most recent incident last
August, 36 packets of cocaine were found on Isthmus Road, Guayaguayare,
by officials of a nearby BP compound.
Police said the drugs were worth an estimated $21,373,440.
Investigators said the discovery of the cocaine was linked to several
assaults and at least one kidnapping in Mayaro and Sangre Grande in late
2023.