Moontown

Cigarettes found at 2A Louisville Road in the upscale Russell Heights community in St Andrew.

Police speak to one of the four Chinese nationals taken into custody after seizing cartons of counterfeit cigarettes, several uncustomed goods, including bleaching cream, counterfeit batteries, soap and bags and a large quantity of cash. - Photos by Norman Grindley/Staff Photographer

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Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

The police Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) is stepping up its drive against the trade in counterfeit cigarettes despite death threats aimed at its members, allegedly from major players in the trade.News of the death threats emerged last month after the police seized more than $40 million and a large quantity of counterfeit cigarettes during operations in Beverly Hills, St Andrew, and downtown Kingston.

Investigators quickly linked the threats to players in the illegal cigarette trade, but head of the Constabulary Communication Network, Inspector Steve Brown, yesterday declared that the police would not cower.

“It (the death threat) does not affect how we perform, because we know the threats will come, and frankly speaking, it comes with the territory. Once you hit these guys hard, they will try to get to you,” Brown told journalists.

He was speaking at the end of an intelligence-driven operation which started shortly after seven yesterday morning and took the OCID team from 2A Louisville Road in the upscale Russell Heights community in St Andrew to two dry-goods wholesale and retail stores in downtown Kingston.

“We seized several cartons of counterfeit cigarettes, several uncustomed goods, including bleaching cream, counterfeit batteries, soap and bags … and a large quantity of cash that is to be counted,” Brown said.

Four Chinese nationals, including the owner of the Russell Heights premises who operates the New Island Wholesale and Retail on Heywood Street and the Sea Breeze Wholesale in North Parade, were arrested during the operations.

They were being questioned up to late yesterday.

“They will be charged for the offences. We will also be checking if they are in the island legally,” declared Brown, as the four men were led away.

According to Brown, the police are resolute in their determination to crack down on the multibillion-dollar trade in counterfeit cigarettes, which is becoming big business in Jamaica.

“This counterfeit cigarette trade is getting bigger in Jamaica by the minute. The criminal elements, because we have taken them on in the guns-for-drugs trade, we have taken them on in the drugs trade, we have taken them on in other criminal activities, so they have switched their attention to the counterfeit cigarette trade,” said Brown.

Late last month, policemen and women from the OCID raided premises on Shenstone Drive, Beverly Hills, St Andrew, and seized 123 packs and 56 cases of cigarettes.

Each case contained 50 cartons of cigarettes, including the popular brands of Newport, Rothmans, Matterhorn, Craven ‘A’, Benson & Hedges and Kool.

The police also seized fake Duracell batteries and an assorted array of expensive liquor and other counterfeit products.

According to the police US$237,043, J$19,297,000, CD$530, and other currencies were also seized.

The OCID also raided premises at North Street in downtown Kingston and seized a quantity of cigarettes, cash and bleaching creams.

But the police made it clear that there was no link between the two operations. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com

National Security Minister Martin Joseph assured last night that there will be a dramatic reduction in this country’s crime rate soon.

Speaking at the PNM’s public meeting in Point Fortin, Joseph explained that the reason there are currently high levels of crime was because of this country’s location. He said Trinidad and Tobago is a major transshipment point between the drug-producing countries of South America and the drug- consuming countries of Europe and North America.

He said the Government had invested a huge amount of taxpayers’ dollars to acquire a 360 degree radar system and a fleet of vessels for the Coast Guard, so as to ensure those in the drug trade could be caught and found in our waters. As a result, this country now has the most number of marine assets ever seen in its history and still to come are three offshore patrol vessels.

’This Government is ensuring that we expand the Coast Guard’s manpower to make sure the naval assets we require will ensure measures are put in place to reduce the inflow of drugs and guns coming into this country,’ Joseph said.

’And we can give you the assurance that once that is done, you can see a dramatic reduction in the level of crime and violence that continues to plague this country even now as we speak … you have the assurance, it is not just ole talk, you have seen it manifested itself in terms of assets being acquired to make sure that we are going to address this problem,’ Joseph continued.

more manpower: Martin Joseph last night.

Joseph added that to improve law enforcement, it was the PNM Government who brought legislation to give the Police Service Commission and Commissioner of Police more authority over the police. He said the police training academy has also been upgraded and the curriculum has been upgraded by expert help.

He said Government also increased the number of police vehicles, adding that between 2002 and now, some 956 vehicles were purchased to bring the fleet up to 1425.

’We recognise and admit that crime is the number one issue. Those opposed to us want to make it the only issue, over the next two weeks they going to bombard you … they go say Manning must go because of crime. Tell them they must go because your Government is putting measures in place to deal with crime,’ Joseph said.

’The war against illegal drugs and guns will continue in our next term … your PNM government will not waiver, will not flinch from these responsibilities.’

He urged the people to find some quiet time and reflect on what the PNM government has done for this country before they go to vote on May 24. (Trinidad Express)

-AR

Prime Minister Patrick Manning revealed last night that he had decided that general election would be in May this year since last October, and he took precautions to ensure not a soul would know the date.

’On October 9, 2009, after looking at our forward programme, after making an assessment of the Government, I took a decision to call general elections on May 24, 2010,’ Manning said at a PNM public meeting in Point Fortin.

He said the UNC did not expect this because they believed he was power-hungry and the last time he called an early election the PNM lost. He reiterated, however, that they lost on that occasion because of the treachery of a PNM member who informed Brian Kuei Tung, who then told former UNC leader Basdeo Panday of the election date.

’They (UNC) were caught on this occasion because there was no chance of any leak,’ Manning said.

He explained his tactic:

’I took a diary I had and began to circle a number of dates. I circled the 24th of May, I circled the date on which we will have to dissolve the Parliament, I circled the date on which we would have to have a special convention … I circled the date on which we should start walkabouts in constituencies, I circled the date on which we should start walkabouts in the national community … all of these dates were circles against the possibility, and against the possibility that the diary fell into the wrong hands, I circled some other dates that were of no significance at all,’ he said.

’So even if, my dear friends, that diary fell into the wrong hands it would have meant absolutely nothing to who got it,’ he added. (Trinidad Express)

Eleven suspects have been arrested following the deaths of two people in a drive-by shooting at a wake in Laventille yesterday. The suspects were arrested during an exercise in the Beetham Gardens. Six people were also injured in the shooting attack.

The two victims are Jamilla Des Vignes, 19, who was pregnant, and 28-year-old Moses Caton, both of Laventille. Des Vignes, the mother of two young children, was six months pregnant. She and Caton, the father of a three-year-old girl, died at the scene of the shooting.

Another man identified as Kerwin Holder, 28, of Marcella Street, Laventille, remained in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit at the Port of Spain General Hospital last evening.

He was shot twice in the chest, abdomen and leg, police said. Police asked that the names of the other five victims not be published for fear they may be killed as they could be used as potential witnesses to the incident.

Around 4 a.m. yesterday, ASP Sahadeo Singh led a contingent of heavily armed officers who raided several homes at Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Streets in Beetham Gardens and arrested 11 suspects. Four of the suspects were detained in connection with the shooting; four others were held for the murder of Laventille resident Rolston Phoenix on April 29; and three were detained in connection with the killing of Trou Macaque villager Lincoln McKenzie, who was shot dead last Saturday along the Beetham. The detained men were handed over to officers assigned to the Special Anti-Crime Unit of T&T, who are investigating the three gang-related shooting incidents.

looking for clues: Police investigators and a SAUTT officer at the scene of the shooting on William Street, Laventille, yesterday. -Photo: ROBERTO CODALLO

According to police, yesterday’s shooting occurred around 1.50 a.m., outside a shop along the Old St Joseph Road near William Street. The victims were among a group of people attending a wake in the area when a white B-15 motor car passed by and the occupants opened fire. Persons at the wake scampered for safety upon hearing the sounds of gunfire.

Des Vignes collapsed and died outside a shop she operated at her home while Caton ran into the yard of a nearby house and died. Police said the man whom the bullets were intended for was not hurt during the incident. The other injured persons, one of them a 37-year-old woman, was taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital where they were treated and warded. Many of the victims were shot in their legs and hands, police said.

The wake was being held for Francis ’Willy’ Moreau, the popular ’pieman’ who lived in the area. Moreau died last Monday from a brain infection, one of his sons, who asked not to be identified, told the Express as he looked at the blood-stained scene yesterday. The man said he was the one who had organised the wake but never thought things would have turned fatal.

Moses’s sister, Heather Catene, described him as a very cool and loving person who did not engage himself in arguments and confrontation with anyone. She said his killing shocked family members and believed he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

’I was in shock when I heard what happened. I can’t have anything to say, but I’d leave everything in the hands of the Lord. He (Moses) doesn’t argue, fight or anything,’ Catene said while awaiting the autopsy results of her brother.

One of Des Vignes’s brothers, who asked not to be identified, said he did not want any further bloodshed in retaliation for the unfortunate incident. He said his mother was deeply hurt by the incident because of the hardships she endured in bringing up her children to be respectable people in society.

’We would like for them to overs (end) the killing because innocent people were dying,’ he said, adding Des Vignes worked hard to survive and provide for her family.

’It doesn’t make any sense, ah boy killing ah boy, because it very painful to see what has happened. We would leave everything in the hands of justice. We would not want to go and take the law in our own hands to become just like them (Des Vignes’ killers).’

Officers at SAUTT have appealed for persons who may have witnessed the incident and have information to contact its Operations Room at 623-5202, the Besson Street CID at 625-8008, Crime Stoppers at 800-TIPS and 555. (Trinidad Express)

Akile Simon akile.simon@trinidadexpress.com

ACTING Deputy Police Commissioner Gilbert Reyes has denied a statement by Prime Minister Patrick Manning that police were able to trace the call which was made to the United National Congress’ (UNC) Rienzi Complex, Couva, headquarters, alleging there was a $5 million hit on the head of Political Leader of the UNC Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

News of a multi-million-dollar contract allegedly being placed on the life of Persad-Bissessar came to the attention of the police on Wednesday after a man, claiming to be an officer assigned to the St Joseph Police Station, called Rienzi Complex and said a contract was out for Persad-Bissessar’s assassination.

However, during a People’s National Movement (PNM) meeting at the Centre City Mall in Chaguanas on Thursday night, Manning said he was informed by police the reported hit against Persad-Bissessar was a hoax.

’The minute I saw it (the newspaper headlines), of course, I would contact the security authorities and I said, ’But what is going on here?’’ Manning told the audience.

’I am now in a position to tell you that they have reported to me tonight (Thursday) that the entire matter is a hoax. Indeed, they have the telephone number of the telephone from which the call was made, and they have a good idea of who made that call.’

Phone number IDENTIFIED: Prime Minister Patrick Manning speaks at a political meeting in Chaguanas on Thursday night. -Photo: Stephen Doobay

Yesterday though Reyes said the police had no information regarding the telephone number which was used to place the call to Rienzi Complex. He said a threat assessment was conducted, however, which revealed there was no truth to the report. He added he did wish to discuss the issue of who gave the information to Manning when further questioned by the Express.

Reyes said: ’I can’t say anything about that. What I could say at this point in time is that based on the investigations we have conducted, there is no evidence to substantiate the report (hit on Persad-Bissessar) at this time.’

He also called on members of the public to desist from making such false reports and warned that such an action is a criminal offence punishable by law.

Police sources said yesterday investigations were still ongoing in the matter.

A senior officer, who did not want to be identified, said with elections ’right around the corner’, several claims and allegations are being made on political platforms, including that of death threats, but these claims were not being officially reported to the police, and this in itself is a problem.

He said investigating officers were still checking phone records and questioning individuals to ascertain the person(s) behind the alleged call. The senior officer called on politicians to exercise caution when mounting their respective platforms and to desist from claims which can hinder their investigations into reported matters.

This is not the first time officers are investigating claims of death threats against politicians.

On July 27 last year, at a political public meeting in Arima, Manning said in 2008, days before the anniversary of the attempted coup, a person walked into the office of his wife, Local Government Minister Hazel Manning, and informed her an organisation was going to make an attempt to assassinate the prime minister.

Following the disclosure, Philbert said he was unaware of the death threat and mandated ACP Raymond Craig to investigate the matter.

At a media briefing held earlier this year at Police Administration Headquarters, Craig, when asked about the case’s status, said the investigation is ongoing. (Trinidad Express)

-Reporting by Denyse Renne

THE STALLED Four Seasons resort project could be restarted shortly with some Government help.

Word of this came yesterday from Professor Avinash Persaud, executive chairman of a body representing stakeholders in Four Seasons.

Persaud, in Geneva, told Starcom Network News yesterday that the construction of the multi-million dollar resort could resume within weeks if Government approved a loan guarantee for the project.

He said he expected Cabinet to give approval.

The radio station said that Persaud had asked Government to guarantee repayment of a loan of US$60 million in return for a 20 per cent stake in the project and some “special rights”.

It quoted him as saying some financial agreements to restart the project were already in place but the guarantee which would ensure the release of more funds was outstanding.

Construction of the resort was halted in February 2009, with access to funds listed as the major problem.

The project will involve construction of a 100-room hotel and 36 villas. It once employed more than 700 construction workers. (TY) (Nation News)

THE AUDITOR GENERAL wants a “thorough investigation” into how several imported vehicles could have left the Bridgetown Port without paying nearly half a million dollars in customs duties.

In his recently released report for 2009, Auditor General Leigh Trotman said audit tests showed that for the financial years 2007-09, in a sample of 67 vehicles, about 41 consigned to individuals were listed in the Customs computerised system ASYCUDA as having been released without the payment of duties.

“This action would have resulted in a revenue loss of approximately $447 699 in taxes and would have shown a weakness in the controls established by the department to prevent such activity from occurring,” he said.

According to Trotman, the relevant forms had been presented to the Port Authority in order for the vehicles to be handed over to the importers.

“The number of vehicles exiting the port without the payment of relevant duties suggests that there was either gross negligence or wilful attempt to defraud Government by circumventing Customs procedures,” he added.

“. . . The matter needs to be thoroughly investigated by the department and appropriate steps taken to avoid a recurrence. Appropriate disciplinary action should be taken against any officers complicit with this activity.”

Trotman reported that the Customs and Excise Department said it was continuing its investigation of the matter.

“Where there is (credible) evidence, charges will be brought,” the department warned in the report.

The department also said that it had tightened up operations at the port to the point that the incidence of goods leaving without being officially cleared “should now be considerably reduced”. (TY) (Nation News)

A boisterous group of Indian supporters at Kensington Oval yesterday. (Picture by Cherie Pitt.)

by Amanda Lynch-Foster

THE INDIANS ARE HERE - at last!

Three years after their shock exit in the first round of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup led to empty stands, empty cruise ships and recriminations that echo to this day, Indian cricket fans flocked to Kensington Oval yesterday.

They turned out to watch their team take on Australia and were by far the best-represented group of cricket visitors at the Oval.

In the Greenidge & Haynes stand, the Hewitt & Inniss stands and the lower tier of the 3Ws stand, every wicket taken or boundary scored by the Indians was greeted with flurries of orange, green and white - the colours of the scores of madly-waving Indian flags.

This was in stark contrast to 2007 when India’s defeat by Bangladesh and Pakistan’s exit at the hands of Ireland effectively scuttled what was expected to be a highly-attended Super Eight sub-continent showdown between the two teams. Instead, it was Bangladesh and Ireland that met in the middle.

The Barbados local organising committee was left to dispose of some 5 000 Super 8 tickets that had been returned by sponsors and official travel agents.

The Barbados Tourism Authority was left with a debt of $21 million for the lease of the Carnival Destiny cruise ship, which was brought in to accommodate what was expected to be an over-flow of visitors.

Up to last week, government MPs chastised the former Barbados Labour Party administration for their handling of the issue, forcing former Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch to defend the decision made under his watch.

“We had worked out an 85 per cent occupancy on the cruise liner, based on our arrivals and rotations out of India. We could not have predicted how Cricket World Cup would have played out,” Lynch said.

Dhiren Parikh was one of those missing fans - he came to the Caribbean for the first round of the CWC in 2007 but never made it to Barbados. Yesterday, in the midst of his first trip here, he proclaimed he was having “an awesome time” in Barbados.

Saibal Chakraborty, who was in the Hewitt & Inniss stand with his wife Debolina and son Aadi, was also on his first trip here and was planning to stay on for the May 16 finals if India makes it through.

“It looks like a proper Caribbean cricket atmosphere. It’s like the kind I heard about growing up,” he commented. (AL-F) amandalynch@nationnews.com

The West Indies left almost 10 000 screaming and flag-waving fans a disappointed lot yesterday, as they faltered badly in their opening performance of the International Cricket Council’s T20 Super Eight phase at Kensington Oval.The Windies went downhill fast after veterans Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle fell cheaply to bad shots.Here, Sri Lanka players celebrate after claiming the prized scalp of West Indies captain Gayle. (Picture by Brooks LaTouche Photography.)

by EZRA STUART

THE WEST INDIES weren’t super but simply shambolic, surrendering meekly by a massive 57 runs to a superior Sri Lanka side in their first World Twenty20 Super Eight cricket match at Kensington Oval yesterday.

After the stylish Mahela Jayawardene piloted Sri Lanka to an imposing 195 for three, with an unbeaten 98, the West Indies wobbled to an unsatisfactory 138 for eight in the one-sided contest.

Jayawardene and his captain Kumar Sangakkara, who was dropped by his opposite number Chris Gayle before he had scored at first slip off the returning Jerome Taylor, made the Windies pay dearly.

The pair plundered the West Indies’ bowling in a second-wicket stand of 166 in 16.3 overs, with the silky-smooth Jayawardene stroking nine fours and smashing four sixes off 56 balls. Sangakkara supported admirably, hitting five fours and three sixes in a measured 49-ball 68.

That Jayawardene was able to get to within two runs of a second successive century, following his first-round scores of 81 and 100 against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Guyana, was due to some poor work from part-time wicket-keeper Andre Fletcher, who muffed two chances to remove him in an eventful 15th over from left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn.

Jayawardene had posted his 50 off just 29 balls with six sixes and two fours, but on 65, he was drawn out of his crease by a delivery from Benn which bounced and turned away from him, but Fletcher fumbled the opportunity.

Three balls later, Benn induced a rare false shot from Jayawardene, but unbelievably neither Fletcher nor Wavell Hinds at short thirdman claimed the skied mishit, which landed between both in the slip area.

It was the type of miss that should tell the West Indies selectors that Fletcher should not be keeping wicket at this level.

Windies’ inept fielding display, in which five chances went abegging as Kieron Pollard had also dropped Sanath Jayasuriya in Taylor’s first over and failed to take a return catch, was followed by an inauspicious batting effort.

Both Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul perished early in consecutive overs, skying catches off the leading edge, and none of the other batsmen gave the 10 000-strong crowd much to cheer about.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (28) and Dwayne Bravo (23) were unable to change gears during their third-wicket 53-run stand in 8.2 overs and departed within six runs of each other.

By the time the big-hitting Pollard came in at 82 for four with 114 runs required from the remaining 7.5 overs, the match was virtually over as a contest.

But his regular method of dismissal, lifting a catch inside the long-on boundary off spinner Ajantha Mendis after facing 10 balls for nine runs, confirmed the inevitable result.

Mendis also accounted for the returning Hinds, batting as low as No.8, for five to end with three for 24 while the pacy Lasith Malinga (3-28) shattered Fletcher’s stumps and trapped Darren Sammy leg before wicket, leaving Taylor and Benn to play out the final two overs.

That ended a match in which nothing went right for the Windies once Gayle dropped Sangakarra and then surprisingly took pacer Kemar Roach out of the attack after his first two overs only yielded four runs while claiming Jayasuriya’s wicket.

This opened the floodgates, as Bravo, Sammy, Benn and Pollard were all expensive, unable to stem the flow of runs from the dashing bats of Sangakkara and Jayawardene, who missed the chance to become the first batsman to make two T20 International hundreds when he faced just one ball in the final over. (Nation News)