$250k bail for Morvant man on prison smuggling charge

The main entrance to the Port of Spain Prison on Frederick Street. FILE PHOTO -

A Morvant man accused of smuggling contraband into the Port of Spain prison on four occasions was granted $250,000 bail.

Alex G Edwards, of Never Dirty, Morvant, was arrested on August 2 and charged with four counts of attempting to smuggle cartons of cigarettes, marijuana, and cellphone accessories into the prison.

The charges allege the incidents occurred on February 27, June 1, June 10, and July 12 at Gordon Street, near the Frederick Street prison’s northern wall, where Edwards is said to have thrown the items into the prison.

Over the three days, Edwards allegedly threw 56 packs of Lucky Strike cigarettes, 72 packs of L&M cigarettes, 760 grams of marijuana, a cellphone, a phone screen, 50 packs of wrapping paper, a data cable, two headsets, two charging blocks, and two lighters. He also faces a separate charge of possession of marijuana, allegedly found on August 2 at Bascom Lane, Laventille Extension, Never Dirty.

He appeared before Master Indira Chinebas on August 11 and will return to court on October 31 for a status hearing. A sufficiency hearing date has not yet been set. Edwards is represented by attorneys Enrique Singh and Alejandro Gocking.

The case comes amid heightened security concerns in the nation’s prisons. Authorities have linked inmate cellphone use to threats against senior government officials, which prompted a state of emergency on July 18. Since then, ten inmates have been relocated from the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca to military bases in Chaguaramas, and new emergency regulations have broadened bans on smuggling prohibited articles into prisons.

In March, a Duncan Street, Port of Spain man also appeared before the High Court on similar charges after a suspect was allegedly seen attempting to throw two bags over the northern wall of the prison. The bags contained cigarettes, a one-burner electric stove, a cellphone headset, and a cellphone charger.

Police and prison officers seized 90 illegal phones during co-ordinated searches earlier this year, and several inmates – including relocated prisoner Rajaae Ali – have been charged in separate contraband cases. A July 22 raid at the Maximum Security Prison resulted in the seizure of multiple mobile devices, cigarettes, cannabis, and handwritten notes linked to ongoing threats.

Speaking on the raid, Police Commissioner Allister Guevaro said, “It also underscores an unwavering commitment to safeguarding law enforcement personnel and fortifying the country’s correctional infrastructure against illicit activity.”

The state of emergency remains in effect until at least late October.