US military radar help cops find $171m drug stash in Caroni Swamp

News Newsday Reporter 15 Minutes Ago

A radar system installed by the US at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Crown Point. - ALVA VIARRUEL

A US military radar recently installed at the ANR International Airport, in Tobago assisted police to find over 1,500 kilogrammes of marijuana, valued at over $171 million, smuggled into the country via the Caroni Swamp.

A police statement on December 11 said the seizure of drugs, described as "creepy marijuana," a strain associated with drug traffickers in Colombia, was aided with assistance from information from the radar.

"Guided by the intelligence, officers journeyed overnight into the mangrove of the Caroni Swamp where they recovered the stashed illegal cargo," the release said.

"The radar system, recently commissioned to strengthen the national security apparatus, was instrumental in this discovery. The nature of the technology and operational aspects of the exercise cannot be shared with the public, but the intelligence triggered a co-ordinated response," led by Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro and two deputy commissioners, Natasha George and Suzette Martin, according to the release.

A US military radar recently installed at the ANR International Airport, in Tobago assisted police to find over 1,500 kilogrammes of marijuana, valued at over $171 million.

Teams of officers assigned specialised units, such as the Multi-Option Police Section (MOPS) of the Special Branch, the Coastal and Air Support Unit (CASU), the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), and other intelligence arms, were involved in the operation.

Police said the vessel, which had the drugs, has been taken to the Heliport at Chaguaramas for forensic processing.

The seized narcotics amounted to 1,560 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of $171,205,320. Police said no arrests were made.

The statement said, Guevarro commended the effectiveness of the radar system and the coordinated efforts of all units involved, underscoring that the TTPS remains resolute in protecting the nation from the scourge of illegal drugs.