Pubdate: Tue, 01 Apr 2008 Source: Trinidad Express (Trinidad) Copyright: 2008 Trinidad Express Contact: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1093 Author: Denyse Renne COPS 'IN CAHOOTS' WITH DRUG DEALERS Probe Into Missing Marijuana, Cocaine Investigators probing the disappearance of 28 blocks of compressed marijuana and four kilogrammes of cocaine from the scene of a crime are now in a quandary, having received information that two police officers were in cahoots with drug dealers. Investigators initially believed that the disappearance of the drugs came after the drug dealers fled the scene after a shoot-out with police in Maraval. However, new information suggests that the drug dealers were working alongside a rogue senior officer in transporting the drugs to its destination. Sources say one of the officers heads a special unit in the North Eastern Division (NED), while the other, a constable with over 20 years service, is attached to a unit in the Port of Spain Division. The drugs were being transported by two drug mules on March 26, and were destined for Laventille Road, San Juan. Sources say investigations into the matter have so far revealed that the drugs entered Trinidad on March 25 and were being kept in an area at Las Cuevas. Prior to the drugs arriving in Trinidad, a deal was made with the NED officer. The deal, sources say, was that the officer receive $7,500 to ensure safe transportation of the drugs. This meant the officer was to inform the suspects if there was a roadblock so they could avoid it. However, sources said the payment was never made and when the drugs were being transported, members of a tactical unit received a call that drugs were leaving the Las Cuevas area and got the description of the car, an Almera, which the suspects were driving. Two teams of officers then positioned themselves in the Maracas and Maraval areas. Three constables who were patrolling the Maracas area spotted the car in the vicinity of the Maracas look-out and signalled for the suspects to stop and they complied. However, as the constables approached the suspects drove off. Meanwhile, three other officers, a Cpl, WPC and PC Ryan Duncan, were conducting a road block exercise in the vicinity of the Maraval pillars, when they heard several gunshots - which were coming from the chase between their colleagues and the drug mules. During the exchange between the officers and the suspects, Duncan, who has four years service, received injuries to his left hand and back and was rushed to the Port of Spain General Hospital by his colleagues, where he was treated and later discharged. However, investigators say they received information that while the suspects were hiding, a marked police jeep with three officers attached to the Port of Spain Division arrived and took the drugs from the car trunk. Sources say the suspects then called the NED senior and told him what they witnessed. The NED senior in turn alerted a high-ranking officer and related what occurred. One of the officers, a constable, with seven years service was detained shortly after the incident but was released on Sunday. - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath