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  • 4 months ago
A second State of Emergency was declared, mere months after the first was lifted

The High Court ruled in favour of Special Reserve Police

and the UNC announced the date of its internal elections

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News
Transcript
00:00Welcome back. The TGPS reports a series of major seizures and arrests in the first 24 hours of the SOE, which began on Friday.
00:12Among the fines, six illegal firearms, including one high-powered rifle.
00:17And as one detainee challenged his transfer in court, a high court judge ruled decisively on the matter.
00:23The police service says a high-powered rifle loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition was discovered and was seized by officers of the Guard and Emergency Branch during a police operation conducted in Kokorita on Friday under the Emergency Powers Regulations 2025 for the state of emergency, which took effect in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday.
00:43The TGPS said on Saturday this was one of six illegal firearms, including pistols, a revolver, and a shotgun seized in addition to the seizure of 33 rounds of ammunition.
00:55The TGPS also said that national deployments during the first 24 hours of the state of emergency resulted in 104 coordinated law enforcement exercises, yielding 629 searches, 407 traffic offenses detected from strategic roadblock operations, and 56 arrests.
01:16The police service added that these actions formed the part of a strategic offensive targeting individuals affiliated with organized criminal syndicates and gangs operating across multiple divisions.
01:29And the TGPS said that in the early hours of Saturday morning, while the country observed its first night under the declared state of emergency, legal representatives acting on behalf of a detainee filed an urgent application before the high court,
01:44seeking the individual's return to the maximum security prison in Aruka.
01:48The TGPS said the detainee who had been relocated to a secure facility pursuant to heightened national security measures was the subject of a habeas corpus challenge,
01:59naming both the Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner of Prisons as respondents.
02:04The Express newspaper has reported that the application was filed for Raji Ali, who, along with nine other accused,
02:12is awaiting trial for the murder of former independent Senator and Senior Counsel Dana Setahal around midnight on May 4, 2014.
02:22The TGPS said following a virtual hearing before Justice Frank Sipersad, the court dismissed the application in its entirety and assessed costs against the applicant.
02:32The Express newspaper has reported that Justice Sipersad stated that less than 24 hours into a state of emergency,
02:40the rights of one citizen cannot trump the rights of a nation as a whole.
02:45The TGPS said this ruling affirms the legal standing of recent operational decisions taken in the interest of public safety and secure detention.
02:55The TGPS noted that Police Commissioner Alistair Govaro said jail is jail and that one secure facility is just as effective as another,
03:05so he is confused as to why they want to pick and choose where they want to be housed whilst they are under the care of the state.
03:13The Police Commissioner then asked if there is something or someone special at the other facility.
03:19One of the legal notices for the state of emergency named the Prisons Order 2025 states that places set out in the schedule appointed as district prisons
03:29are premises approved by the Minister Tetron Barracks, Chagaramus, and at Stobbles Bay, Chagaramus.
03:37Both of those locations are Defense Force bases and are also identified in the detention of persons' directions
03:43under the emergency powers' regulations for the state of emergency as detention centers.
03:49Those legal notices which have been gazetted are in the name of Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander.
03:56Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:59A parent's worst nightmare came true in Valencia last week when search teams made a gruesome discovery.
04:05The body of a young woman chopped into pieces, stuffed into a suitcase, and dumped in a shallow pond.
04:12Although police have not yet officially confirmed their identity, the family of 22-year-old Candice Honoré fares the worst.
04:20Candice had last been seen on July 8th and reported missing three days later.
04:25It was just after sunrise on Thursday when a black suitcase, out of place and half-submerging a pond along Oropuch Road in Valencia,
04:34caught the attention of the hunters' search and rescue team.
04:36Inside, human remains wrapped in plastic and believed to be those of the missing 22-year-old.
04:43And we started this morning at 6 a.m. and at around 6.30 a.m. this morning, right behind me,
04:52we saw, we spotted a pretty large black suitcase lying in a shallow pond about 15 feet from the edge of the roadway.
05:02To us, it looked very suspicious.
05:04That this, it stood out and it looked suspicious.
05:08Rambarat says the team immediately contacted the police, who asked them to retrieve the suitcase.
05:15We opened the suitcase, we unzipped the suitcase, we lifted the cover, and we stepped back.
05:21But from our observation, what we saw was black and clear plastic bags inside.
05:27The officers approached and they shortly thereafter indicated to me that what they adopted was a human hand.
05:37Candice's family has been clinging to hope since she disappeared.
05:42But her father, Michael Honoré, says while the official identification is still to come,
05:48the discovery matches the fears that he's been dreading.
05:51This morning, they discovered a package and a little pond, a little further away from where we is presently,
05:59which they describe as a suitcase.
06:02And well, since the Tuesday before, my daughter was missing Candice.
06:08And we was on certain leads, according to info, until it brings me to that point this morning.
06:15Search and rescue, found the package, and we ain't got no official confirmation as to is Candice or not.
06:22We just are waiting forensic.
06:24Clearly emotional, he reflected on the distance between himself and his daughter in recent years
06:30and warned other parents to pay close attention to their children, especially in an age of social media.
06:36I just want to tell all parents, all their follow-up on all their children, especially female boys as well,
06:42because all they don't know what's going on, all they can never know all what's going on.
06:47Right?
06:47Because you see this thing we have in our hands and toting and securing, we phone, we internet,
06:53this is what looks in me right now.
06:54He warned that parents should advise children about the dangers of social media and the internet
07:00and who they interact with online.
07:04The hunters' search and rescue team says they acted on multiple tips
07:08and coordinated information to narrow their search to this area.
07:13For now, the body remains at the Forensic Science Center,
07:17where pathologists are expected to conduct DNA testing to confirm their identity.
07:21Police from the Homicide Bureau and the Crime Scene Unit continue their investigation
07:26into what is now being treated as a murder.
07:30Alexander Broussoull, TV6 News.
07:34The Homeland Security Minister fielded questions during the post-COVID media briefing
07:39following the gruesome discovery.
07:41All murders is of concern to the government, to the people and to our family.
07:47And I don't want to divulge too much into this,
07:53but the police is presently looking at a particular type of investigation where this is concerned.
08:00Yeah?
08:00And I wouldn't want to say much about it.
08:03The minister also offered the following advice to young women.
08:06Persons continue to ask about a crime plan.
08:08It's not a crime plan.
08:09It's an anti-crime plan.
08:11And as time goes by, you all will be able to get the information.
08:16All right?
08:16It involves the changing of a lot of things.
08:19All right?
08:20So just allow things to happen.
08:22I mean, you're going to tell me, yes, persons are dying and all of these things.
08:25But we too, as citizens, have a responsibility.
08:29You notice, and I want to bring up this very openly,
08:31I want persons, especially females, to be careful with the social media network
08:37in terms of their dating behaviours.
08:41This is The Past, seven days on six.
08:52Thanks for staying with us.
08:53The court ruled that special reserve police officers can be members of the Police Service Association last week
08:59and can vote in its elections.
09:02This after the executive election was stopped by injunction in late June.
09:07For the first time since the UNC-led coalition of interests won the 2025 election and formed the new government,
09:13the cabinet held its weekly meeting at the diplomatic center in St. Anne's instead of the Red House.
09:18And Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander made an announcement
09:21with regard to the new government's anti-crime measures.
09:25This government of Trantobago, led by the Honorable Prime Minister,
09:31Ms. Kamala Basad-Bissessa Essie,
09:37has made it and approved today
09:39the absorption of over 800 police officers
09:46into the regular Trantobago police service.
09:49Legal Affairs Minister Saddam Hussein said
09:52this was a landmark decision by the cabinet
09:54as he made reference to a promise made by the UNC
09:57when it was in opposition.
09:59We have kept that promise today.
10:02The cabinet has made that particular decision.
10:05So there will be 800 special reserve police officers
10:08to be absorbed within the regular police officers.
10:13This will in particular address the manpower shortage
10:16we have in the Trinidad and Tobago police service also.
10:19And I say that because that is evident,
10:22especially from the overtime bill
10:24that the TTPS has to incur on a fiscal and yearly basis.
10:29Minister Alexander also made reference to the present situation
10:32regarding staffing within the police service
10:35as he provided further details.
10:37This waiver of mandatory academic and required entry into the TTPS
10:44is to facilitate over the shortfall
10:51of over 1,154 vacancies that presently exist.
10:58At this time, the government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
11:05is looking at all options available to it
11:09for the protection of our citizens.
11:13The Homeland Security Minister field questions from the media
11:16with regard to the waiver of the mandatory academic requirement.
11:20We will treat the regulations thereafter.
11:22Minister Alexander also made reference with regard to ongoing efforts
11:47towards increasing security at the nation's schools.
11:50Jule Brown, TV6 News.
11:54Also happening last week,
11:56the UNC announced the date for its election
11:58for the post of political leader.
12:00The news came one week after Prime Minister Kamala Fassad-Bissessa
12:03declared her intention to seek another tip as her party's leader.
12:09At a UNC Monday Night Report meeting on July 7th,
12:12the party's political leader, Prime Minister Kamala Fassad-Bissessa,
12:16made this announcement.
12:17The politics of our great party
12:19will soon meet to decide on the date
12:23for the internal election of its political leader.
12:27I give you notice tonight.
12:32I intend to contest again
12:34for the position of political leader.
12:38A week later, on Monday, July 14th,
12:41the UNC's NATEX, the party's national executive,
12:45met and announced that the decision was taken
12:47to hold the election for the post of political leader
12:50on the 17th of August of this year.
12:53Prime Minister Fassad-Bissessa has been the political leader
12:55of the United National Congress since 2010
12:58when she led the UNC-led People's Partnership to victory
13:01in that year's general election
13:03and became Trinidad and Tobago's first female prime minister.
13:07When the partnership lost the 2015 general election,
13:11Senior Counsel Fassad-Bissessa was opposition leader
13:13for almost 10 years
13:15until she led the UNC and its coalition of interests
13:18to victory in the 2025 general election on April 28th.
13:22Prime Minister Fassad-Bissessa now leads a government
13:25which has a special majority in the House of Representatives,
13:29something she made an apparent reference to
13:31at the UNC's Monday night report in Penal.
13:35I hope you will give me the honor
13:36of leading you into this term in government.
13:42I'll take you there, and together we'll get things done.
13:46And on July 7th, the prime minister
13:49not only repeated her intention to serve
13:51as the UNC's leader for another term,
13:53she also had a message for her party's membership.
13:58So, again, for those who did not hear,
14:02may be turning an open door in the fridge
14:05and closing the door.
14:06I intend to contest as political leader
14:11of the United National Congress.
14:17Any and every member of the United National Congress,
14:23you have a right to file a nomination
14:25for the position of political leader.
14:29If you want it, come and take it.
14:32It remains to be seen if Prime Minister Fassad-Bissessa
14:37will face any competition
14:38for the post of the UNC's political leader
14:41or contest that post unopposed.
14:44The UNC has announced that nomination day
14:47will be July 27th.
14:50Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
14:53Sport is up next. Keep it here.
15:02In sport, it was great news for Team TNT
15:06as we kicked off the Junior Pan Am Track Cycling Championships
15:09with a gold medal.
15:11The trio of Jelani Nader, Javon Ramroop,
15:13and Judah Neveson
15:14powered TNT to a close victory over Colombia
15:17in the final of the men's team sprint.
15:19Viene la serie, señoras y señores,
15:25atacando la distancia,
15:28el dorsal 61 de Trinidad.
15:38Ciudad Neveson ahora. Sale Neveson.
15:42Viene Colombia, sale el corredor colombiano.
15:45Viene ahora, dirigiendo con dos corredores.
15:49Va a rematar el número 22 de Colombia.
15:51Juan Camilo Villamizar, la voz de bronce.
15:55En el aire, la medalla.
15:56Trinidad y Tobago y Colombia.
15:58Última vuelta.
16:00Se están metiendo ya en los últimos metros.
16:03Colombia con un segundo ahora, ¿eh?
16:05Frente a Trinidad y Tobago.
16:08Mano a mano, teta a teta ahora.
16:11¡Ulala! Trinidad y Tobago.
16:14Por cien milésima de segundo.
16:18And the West Indies were back on the field
16:21for the first time
16:22after their test debacle of 27 all-out
16:25against Australia.
16:26The best of five T20 series
16:28bowled off in Jamaica
16:29with day-night matches at Sabina Park.
16:32Skipper Sheeho was hopeful
16:33ahead of the series.
16:35We had a very challenging year,
16:37especially with the white ball stuff.
16:38And yeah, coming off of the back
16:40of that loss that we had in the test series,
16:42you know, we're trying to turn things around.
16:44We've got a lot of experienced guys
16:46in our group,
16:47so it's great to have them around
16:48and hopefully we can start this series well.
16:50And that's a wrap on the past
16:52seven days on Six.
16:54I am Renessa Cutting.
16:55If you didn't catch this segment
16:57in its entirety,
16:58you can find it on our website,
17:00www.tv6tnt.com.
17:03And you can find all these stories
17:05and more on the TV6 mobile app.
17:08Thanks for choosing TV6
17:10and do have a great evening.
17:11We'll see you next time.
17:41Good evening and welcome
17:42to the past seven days on Six.
17:45I am Renessa Cutting.
17:47Here's what made the news this past week.
17:49A second state of emergency
17:51was declared in 2025,
17:54mere months after the first one was lifted.
17:56The I-Court ruled in favor
17:58of Special Reserve Police officers.
18:00And the UNC announced
18:02the date of its internal elections.
18:05As per usual,
18:06if it was happening,
18:07it was on Six.
18:08Let's get right into it.
18:10This country is once again
18:12under a state of emergency.
18:14But this time,
18:14authorities say
18:15the threat is far more organized
18:17and dangerous.
18:19Police Commissioner
18:19Alistair Guevara said
18:20a criminal network
18:22involving prison inmates,
18:24their outside accomplices,
18:25and even compromised insiders
18:27has been plotting
18:28a wave of attacks,
18:30prompting the TTPS
18:31to move swiftly
18:32to throw a wrench
18:33in their plans.
18:35Earlier this morning,
18:36Commissioner Police
18:37Alistair Guevara gave the reasoning
18:38behind the state of emergency
18:40which was announced today.
18:41He stated that the police
18:42had received credible information
18:44of threats coming
18:46from correctional facilities
18:47within this country.
18:48As a result,
18:49as of 12.05 a.m. today,
18:51the police had enacted
18:52several operations,
18:53which included moving
18:54several high-risk prisoners
18:56from the maximum security prison
18:58in Aruko.
18:59In a press briefing today,
19:00Police Commissioner
19:01Alistair Guevara outlined
19:02what he described
19:03as a grave and imminent threat
19:05to national security,
19:07a plot by what he calls
19:08an organized crime syndicate
19:10made up of inmates,
19:12corrupt insiders,
19:13and criminals on the outside
19:15who have been plotting
19:16assassinations,
19:18kidnappings,
19:19and robberies,
19:20prompting him
19:21to request emergency powers
19:23from the government.
19:24Yesterday afternoon,
19:26I would have received
19:27intelligence reports
19:28whereby organized
19:31criminal gangs
19:33with persons
19:35inside of the prisons
19:38and persons operating
19:40on the outside
19:40of the prisons
19:41have formed themselves
19:43into what I would want to term
19:44an organized crime syndicate
19:47and that they
19:48were planning,
19:51actively so,
19:52to carry out
19:53assassinations,
19:55robberies,
19:56and kidnappings.
19:57The commissioner said
19:58he took his concerns
20:00to the National Security Council
20:01then personally briefed
20:03the Prime Minister
20:04and Attorney General
20:05who agreed to his request
20:07for a state of emergency.
20:08The president signed
20:09the proclamation last night.
20:11And this recommendation
20:12was made
20:13with a heavy heart
20:16to ask the Prime Minister
20:19and the Attorney General
20:20to accede to my request
20:22to have a state of emergency
20:24placed on Trinidad and Tobago,
20:26and particular emergency powers
20:29placed in the hands of law enforcement
20:31to treat with the threat.
20:33Guevara received the proclamation
20:35signed by President Christine Kangaloo
20:37at about 12.02 a.m. today.
20:40Within three minutes,
20:42he said,
20:42the TTPS had already began
20:44several operations
20:45throughout this country.
20:47Guevara said he personally
20:49oversaw the transfer
20:50of suspected gang leaders
20:52out of the maximum security prison
20:54in Aruka
20:55to a more secure facility,
20:57cutting off their ability
20:58to coordinate attacks.
21:01He made it clear
21:02this state of emergency
21:03is unrelated
21:04to any political threat
21:06or the previous SOE
21:08called to address gang violence.
21:10The last SOE, as you said,
21:13was held to deal with gang violence.
21:16This particular SOE
21:17is being held to deal
21:18with a particular threat,
21:20even though it involves persons
21:22who have formed themselves
21:23into an organized crime syndicate,
21:25or I don't want to use the word gang
21:27because it's bigger than a gang
21:28when you look at
21:28different entities coming together.
21:31I do not wish to say that it have any,
21:34because it's something totally different.
21:36According to Guevara,
21:38the syndicate funds its operations
21:39through kidnappings,
21:41home invasions, extortions,
21:44and even infiltrating state contracts,
21:47using the proceeds
21:48to stockpile weapons
21:49and tighten their grip.
21:51Alexander Bruiswall, TV6 News.
21:54While Attorney General John Jeremy said,
21:57the SOE is absolutely necessary
21:59and the effects
22:01are already bearing fruit.
22:03Government has been taking note
22:06of trends in society
22:07as it relates to gruesome crimes
22:09213 homicides,
22:11the resurgence of extortion,
22:13kidnappings for ransom,
22:14and information regarding
22:16the high-profile murder
22:17of Randall Hector
22:18has now come to light.
22:20Our intelligence reports suggest,
22:23and they suggest strongly,
22:28with a degree of high confidence,
22:31that the recent murder of a state prosecutor
22:36was directly linked to a specific gang.
22:43But government on Thursday
22:44received much more troubling information.
22:47A plot was in the advanced stages of execution
22:53from within Trinidad and Tobago's correctional facilities.
23:02The object of the plot was clear.
23:05It was directed towards violent attacks
23:11targeting citizens,
23:14persons involved in the justice system
23:19at all levels,
23:21and others involved in serving this country
23:25in the protective services,
23:27including police officers.
23:30State facilities were also targeted.
23:33Before the public even became aware
23:36of the state of emergency,
23:37the police sprung into action.
23:39This morning, at about 6 a.m.,
23:42the police began to interdict
23:44known gang members
23:48alleged to be involved in these plots
23:52in order to disrupt threats to the state
23:56and to our citizens.
23:59Police commissioner Alistair Guevaro
24:01says the plot was being coordinated
24:02by persons at correctional facilities
24:04who use mobile phones to relay instructions.
24:08In the past,
24:08when inmates are stripped of their devices,
24:11it prompts the assassination
24:12of prison officers.
24:14We have thought about it.
24:16These gangs are so sophisticated
24:18that they've planned for an eventuality
24:23similar to what has happened this morning.
24:26They have made contingency plans.
24:29We've had to get ahead
24:31of those contingency plans.
24:33The AG says the prime minister
24:34has not slept for the past 48 hours
24:37as the information was solid
24:38and the existential threat
24:41was deeply troubling.
24:42We make no apologies for it.
24:44We have a duty to all of the people
24:47of Trinidad and Tobago,
24:49whether they voted for us or not,
24:51to keep them safe
24:53and to protect against precisely
24:56that which took place in 1990.
24:59It will not happen on our watch.
25:04And it appears their efforts
25:05are bearing fruit.
25:07The fact that I am here
25:08speaking to you this morning
25:10and that half of the building
25:13has not been destroyed
25:14by a rocket launcher
25:17should tell you
25:18that we have succeeded
25:19in disrupting a plan.
25:23Is the AG fearful for his life?
25:26My life?
25:27I am not bothered by things like that.
25:30Urvashi Tamwari, Rupinarain, TV6 News.
25:33Many people were taken by surprise
25:35with the calling of the SOE last week.
25:37In fact, when TV6 News
25:39hit the streets of Port of Spain
25:40to solicit views on the new development,
25:43many were hearing of it
25:44for the first time.
25:46It was business as usual
25:48in downtown Port of Spain
25:49as the state of emergency
25:51called on Friday morning
25:52comes without a curfew at this time
25:55and is being used
25:56to combat a crime syndicate
25:57which poses a security threat
25:59to senior officials and others.
26:02So, how are citizens feeling?
26:04Well, I listened to the news conference
26:08and I gave the commissioner of police
26:12the right of way.
26:14He has information I don't have.
26:16So, I cannot condemn.
26:18We are just hoping for the best.
26:20I was kind of scared to a point,
26:22but I mean,
26:24I can't really do anything about it.
26:26We just had to be aware
26:27about the circumstances and stuff.
26:29Were you aware of it?
26:30No, I wasn't aware.
26:32There's someone hearing about it right now.
26:34This is the same thing
26:35the government was talking about.
26:37The previous government
26:38wasn't doing nothing about it.
26:40And now they get a chance to do about it
26:41and they're seeing it's the same thing going on
26:43so you can't really blame the government.
26:45Desiree Murray heard about the SOE
26:47through WhatsApp.
26:48She tells us she doesn't have
26:49any strong feelings about it,
26:51but it's quite the opposite
26:52when it comes to the safety
26:54and security of women.
26:55With the kidnapping
26:56and murder of 22-year-old Candice Honoré
26:59is still fresh on her mind,
27:01she has a suggestion.
27:03Making some events
27:04more accessible to everybody.
27:06Even if we don't have to pay for it,
27:08I think the police
27:09or whoever can make that initiative.
27:13The SOE gives police
27:14the right to enter homes
27:15without search warrants.
27:17It's a contentious topic for some.
27:19I mean, you can't just come just like that
27:21and just enter people home
27:22without having a search warrant.
27:24People can say,
27:25well, what do you come to search for?
27:26So you must need a search warrant
27:28in order for you to search the house.
27:31The country already have a lot of crime,
27:33like a bit too much crime.
27:35I would hope that it would minimize it a bit,
27:37but I feel like
27:38it might be a bit of abuse of power
27:41because if somebody fall into this stereotype,
27:44they could look like a criminal
27:45and then the police just barge into the house.
27:48Definitely, I would encourage our people
27:50to support the government
27:51as they band together
27:53to eradicate whatever elements
27:55that there may be
27:56that are trying to encroach
27:57on our rights and our freedoms.
28:00We had to a quick break.
28:01We'll have more news when we return.
28:03We'll have more news when we return.
28:04We'll have more news when we return.
28:05We'll have more news when we return.
28:06We'll have more news when we return.
28:06We'll have more news when we return.
28:07We'll have more news when we return.
28:08We'll have more news when we return.
28:08We'll have more news when we return.
28:09We'll have more news when we return.
28:10We'll have more news when we return.
28:10We'll have more news when we return.
28:11We'll have more news when we return.
28:12We'll have more news when we return.
28:12We'll have more news when we return.
28:13We'll have more news when we return.
28:14We'll have more news when we return.
28:14We'll have more news when we return.
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