00:0055-year-old Moruga businessman is denied calling on the authorities to find a way to let civilians
00:06easily verify the legitimacy of law enforcement officers. The call came hours after the man,
00:12his wife, daughters and an employee were tied up and robbed by a group of men dressed in police
00:18and army clothing. Reporter Sindhi Raghoba Teke Singh visited the family today for this story.
00:24When 55-year-old Terence Thomas was told at gunpoint on Monday night to lie down and don't
00:31move, he was certain that his death was coming. Instead, a group of four men, two dressed in
00:38police uniform and two dressed in camouflage army clothing, tied up his wife and daughters,
00:44ransacked his house, stole money, jewellery, phones and a vehicle,
00:50then left his St Mary's Village, Moruga home. But that's not where the terrifying ordeal began.
00:57When we met with Thomas on Tuesday, he said he and an employee were at his furniture store
01:03on Douglas Trace, Moruga around 9pm when the suspects entered his office.
01:20So I told him, I said, well, I want to see your thing, show me what it is that you want,
01:26what it is that you're looking for. So he said, you know the thing, I said, so what is the name
01:32I think of this and whatever it is. He said, I find you talking too much, you know. And he just
01:36pushed me on the thing. The next one said, bring him, handcuff him. And they handcuffed him behind
01:40my back. After bagging some money here, the men said they were taking Thomas to the police station,
01:47still handcuffed and believing the men to be actual police, he was put in a vehicle. But while
01:54on the road, was told they would instead be going to execute the search warrant on his house and
02:00asked for directions. Thomas says still convinced the men were law enforcement personnel based on
02:07their clothing and the way they spoke, calling each other by rank like corporal and sergeant,
02:13he complied. You can't say who is real and who isn't because they're coming like real police.
02:19They have everything and everything and the whole outfit, everything like police.
02:23Thomas said it was only when they got to his house, pointed a gun to his head and started
02:29tying up his family, did he realise what was really happening. They put me lie down and they
02:35said I'll go shoot you. They said I'll go shoot you and I didn't lie down one time and I said,
02:38well that is it. You know, and I just said my prayers and said, I said, Father Lord,
02:41I don't want to die like this with no gunshot. Thomas says the men left after about half an hour.
02:47He later realised that his employee was also brought to his home in the trunk of the suspect's
02:52vehicle and tied up alongside his family. He says on Tuesday morning, a friend spotted his vehicle
02:59in the Princess Town area and they were able to recover it with the assistance of the police.
03:05Thomas says given the increasing number of crimes being carried out by criminals dressed
03:10in police wear, the authorities need to find a way that allows civilians to quickly verify an
03:17officer before such a warrant or arrest can take place. They just don't know how they're coming
03:24and when they're coming in, police uniform and things. I would, well my thing for the public,
03:29I want to know that what it is that I feel that I could do against that. If I see the police come
03:33and say it's police and I have a warrant and to enter my place, I don't know what to say,
03:39what I think I should do. Sindhi Raghubar Tika Singh, TV6 News. The TV6 People Meter,
03:46brought to you by Accel Health TT, the official supplements of the CPS.
03:53Tonight for our People Meter, we're asking you, do you think that changing the uniform worn by
03:58police officers will help prevent fake police incidents? To vote, text YES or NO to the number
04:057664886 or 7664 TV6. We have the results for you at the end of this newscast.
04:13MP for Moruga, Tebalang, Michelle Benjamin is tonight calling for an urgent review of the
04:18TTPS's operations in rural areas following the robbery of Moruga businessman, Terence Thomas
04:25and his family by men dressed in police uniform last night. In a statement, MP Benjamin also
04:32called for an immediate increase in police presence in the area and comprehensive crime
04:36fighting strategies to protect vulnerable citizens. She says when criminals can impersonate
04:41law enforcement officers and commit heinous acts, it is a clear indication that we are losing
04:46control of our communities. MP Benjamin says crime has escalated to unprecedented levels
04:53and the public is quickly losing faith in the ability of the Trinidad and Tobago police to
04:57protect them. She is blaming the government for placing citizens' lives at risk, saying there is
05:03an absence of effective action and a failure to equip the police force with much needed resources.
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