40 officers transferred from St Joseph Police Station following drugs, ammunition bust

Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago have transferred all but five officers from the St Joseph police station as a result of an inquiry into a drug and ammunition find in the ceiling at an office in the station. But none of the 40 officers involved is facing charges.

They have been reassigned to various stations along the east-west corridor.

The new staff at St Joseph will comprise recent recruits, Special Reserve Police and five officers who were recently transferred to the station.

On Saturday police raided the station and seized a quantity of guns, ammunition, marijuana and cocaine that were hidden in the ceiling of one of the offices in the building.

Reports say the weapons and illicit drugs were seized during police raids but were never logged as evidence.

Local media reports say the officer who occupied the office where the drugs and ammunition were found is an Inspector who has now been transferred to the Arima Police Station.

A senior officer from the Northern division reportedly blew the whistle on the St Joseph operation and this led to the raid and lock down of the station on Saturday.

Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert, who admitted that there was something wrong at the station "for some time" set up an immediate investigation. Police officers said their seniors were aware of "unscrupulous dealings" in the station but looked the other way.

Read the story: Guns, drugs hidden in police station ceiling

On Monday the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce issued a media release calling on Philbert to "act decisively to weed out all corrupt practices in the Police Service if he wants to build public confidence and trust in his officers."

Chamber president Angella Persad said the confiscation of "guns, ammunition and drugs found hidden in the ceiling of the St Joseph Police Station is cause for serious alarm and concern among members of the public."

She added, "It is imperative that offending officers are brought to justice post haste and penalised to the full extent of the law with maximum accountability and transparency of the public."

The chamber said citizens deserve and demand "a Police Service which is committed to ridding the country of crime and corruption...The Chamber thus reiterates its call for zero tolerance against crime wherever it may be and most specifically when it occurs within the Police Service."