00:00connect with us on facebook at ccn tv6 trinidad and tobago on x using the handle at tv6 tnt
00:11on instagram hashtag tv6 tnt and via our website www.tv6tnt.com the united kingdom's home office
00:23has published a new country policy report on trinidad and tobago identifying gangs as a major
00:29source of violence and acknowledging that some individuals may face persecution or serious harm
00:35because of gang activity the report however says the state generally remains capable of providing
00:40protection and 180 gangs operating nationwide that's the assessment coming from the united kingdom home
00:50office in a new country policy and information report on trinidad and tobago the document which
00:57is used by immigration officials when determining asylum claims describes gangs as a major contributor
01:04to violence and insecurity across the country the report says quote more than 180 gangs with various
01:12sizes and reaches operate throughout trinidad and tobago the most prominent of which are the
01:18muslim and rasta city end quote according to the report gang activity is concentrated in marginalized
01:25urban areas particularly in and around port of spain and along the east west corridor although criminal
01:32groups have expanded into other parts of the country the home office notes that gangs are often involved
01:39in a wide range of criminal activities including murder kidnapping extortion human trafficking armed
01:47robbery and illegal firearms trade it points to growing fragmentation among gangs saying smaller groups have
01:54splintered from larger organizations fueling violent turf wars and retaliatory killings the report says
02:01quote as of 2025 gangs are responsible for around one-third of homicides in the country end quote it also
02:09notes that approximately 43 percent of murders recorded in 2024 were gang related the assessment paints a picture
02:18of gangs exercising influence beyond criminal activity in some communities gang leaders are described as
02:26informal power brokers who mediate disputes distribute resources and exert social control over residents the report
02:34says some gang leaders have benefited from government contracts and communities under their influence giving them
02:41additional leverage in those areas one of the report's most significant findings relates to who may be at risk
02:48the home office says individuals who openly challenge gangs refuse demands disrespect gang leaders or are related to
02:57targeted persons may face serious consequences the report says quote a person who is living in an area controlled by
03:04a gang
03:05and is perceived to be someone who has not complied with the gang's rules or demands or otherwise openly opposes
03:12the gang or
03:13disrespects the gang leader is likely to face persecution or serious harm in that area end quote the same conclusion
03:22it says
03:23applies to family members of targeted individuals the report further notes that gangs have threatened and killed persons perceived as
03:30rivals who refuse recruitment efforts business owners who resist extortion demands and state officials seen as
03:38interfering with gang operations the home office also raises concerns about corruption within sections of the justice system it notes
03:48reports of police officers and prison officers collaborating with gangs and acknowledges allegations of corruption linked to public
03:56contracts however it says corruption among some officials does not mean the state is unwilling to provide protection in fact
04:05the report
04:05ultimately concludes that trinidad and tobago generally maintains an effective system for detecting prosecuting and punishing serious crime
04:15it says quote a person who has a well-founded fear of persecution or serious harm from a rogue state
04:21actor and or a
04:23non-state actor is in general likely to obtain protection from the state end quote the assessment points to specialized
04:31anti-gang units
04:32witness protection programs police operations and legislative measures aimed at combating organized crime the report also references the
04:42ongoing state of emergency first imposed in december 2024 noting that authorities have carried out thousands of arrests and the
04:51gang violence has declined since
04:53implementation it's implementation it says quote the homicide rate also fell significantly from approximately
04:5845.7 per 100 000 of the population in 2024 to 27 per 100 000 in 2025 end quote despite
05:10that improvement the home office
05:12says every case must be considered individually and acknowledges that some people facing gang threats may still qualify for
05:20international protection the report concludes that asylum claims from trinidad and tobago involving gang violence
05:26are unlikely to be considered clearly unfounded underscoring the seriousness with which the uk views the threat posed
05:35by criminal gangs in the country our rishi to worry rupon ryan tv6 news that story takes us to tonight's
05:42people meter we
05:43ask do you agree with the report by the uk home office on gangs in tnt to vote text yes
05:50or note with
05:50the number seven six six six four eight eight six or seven six six four tv6 we'll have the results
05:55for you
05:55at the end of this newscast responding to queries posed by tv6's irvish itawari rupon ryan defense minister
06:04wayne sturge says the recent united kingdom home office report on trinidad and tobago should serve as a wake-up
06:10call
06:11for those who opposed the government's anti-gang legislation referencing the report which highlighted
06:16the influence of gangs and gang-related violence across the country minister stij said he hopes
06:22independent senators who voted against the zone of special operations legislation will compare the
06:27report's findings with the provisions contained in the bill the minister argued quote we didn't get
06:33here overnight this is a culmination of the myriad failures of the last administration
06:37over the last decade both their actions and inactions stij cited the report saying quote it is indeed a
06:44sobering reminder of what we are facing and provides justification for the measures we are implementing
06:50to deal with gangs and gang-related violence the uk report identified more than 180 gangs operating across
06:58trinidad and tobago and notice that gangs are responsible for roughly one-third of the country's
07:04homicides still to come in tonight's news u.s. special ops and tddf come
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