Police arrest ex-solider, say he was to be "shooter" in assassination plot

Express Photo: Soldiers keep watch during a function at the Penal constituency office of PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar

The Express newspaper reported on Monday that a fourth ex-member of the Defence Force has been arrested in connection with the alleged assassination plot against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and three Cabinet members.

The paper said the 30-year-old suspect from Picton Road, Laventille, was one of the main 'shooters' for the assassination gang, citing police sources.

Three other former Defence Force members have been held in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma.

Fourteen people are in custody in connection with the plot including a police sergeant, Selwyn "Robocop" Alexis and businessman Khalil Karamath.

The Express said police picked up the ex-soldier held on Saturday night during a roadblock exercise along the Lady Young Road in Belmont. They took him into custody and later handed over to the special team of officers probing the alleged plot, the paper reported.

On August 29 police made a raid at Picton Road and seized a rifle, genuine military uniforms, ammunition and other contraband items. That same day they arrested 22 suspects, 18 of them allegedly linked to the Picton Road gang.

Police said they found a Venezuela-made FAL high-powered rifle, two military bullet-proof vests, 257 rounds of assorted ammunition, several ski masks, genuine military camouflage uniforms, firearm holsters and a quantity of marijuana.

All the items had been buried near the ex-soldier's home off Picton Road.

The 18 alleged gang members were freed after Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard discontinued the matters against them because of insufficient evidence.

Police are still searching for several persons who have been described as "middlemen" in the alleged plot, the Express reported.

It said the suspects are linked to a radical Muslim group based in Central Trinidad and are members of the Picton Road, Laventille, and other criminal gangs.