THE DEFENCE Force is missing one of its assault rifles and a $75,000 reward is being considered for information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of persons responsible.
The police and the Defence Force are currently investigating the disappearance of an unloaded assault rifle (an Israeli-made Galil) from the Support and Service Battalion of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment in Chaguaramas.
During a news conference held yesterday at the Ministry of National Security, Port of Spain, chief of defence staff Darryl Daniel alerted the nation to “something very disturbing”.
Also present were acting commanding officer of the Regiment, Ashook Singh, and DCP (Intelligence) Curt Simon.
“We do not take these things lightly, hence the reason why we are here letting the public know that a weapon has not been accounted for and we will not leave any stone unturned until we find that weapon and those who are responsible will be dealt with. This is not something that happens or that we want to happen at all. This the first and hopefully the last,” he stated.
CO Singh said the Regiment was alerted at around 12.30 a.m. yesterday of a missing assault rifle from the support and Services Battalion in Chaguaramas.
“The officer who is the senior person on duty at Teteron barracks was alerted by a person who was on duty and was assigned a Galil assault rifle that his rifle was missing,” he said.
“The office immediately conducted the standing operative procedures (SOPs) for such incidents and immediately confined Teteron barracks. It remains confined at this point in time (yesterday afternoon) as we continue our investigation,” Singh said.
He said searches continued yesterday during daylight hours but the weapon had not been located.
Police were contacted and are currently assisting the Regiment in trying to locate the weapon.
“Additionally we would have altered the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) and we are currently working alongside them gathering further intelligence and information with regards to the missing assault rifle. The Trinidad and Tobago Regiment sees this as a serious incident and will continue to work alongside the police,” he said.
DCP Simon said that they would be “leaving no stone unturned”.
“Our intelligence and investigation arms have been activated in this matter and in fact there are considerations right now for a reward to be disseminated for any information that would lead anywhere in between finding the perpetrator and weapon or the weapon,” he said.