radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Retired Major of the Defence Force Dirk Barnes and counter-terrorism instructor and firearm expert Paul Daniel Nahous say T&T’s crime spike is related to the proliferation of gangs.
Both men spoke exclusively to Guardian Media following comments from criminologist Dr Ramesh Deosaran that crime had spiked in January because people were broke.
While both Barnes and Nahous admitted that poverty and unemployment contributed to crime, they say the crime spike being experienced in T&T now is the result of a breakdown in law enforcement.
Barnes, who is a weapons dealer noted that gangs were testing the police response.
He noted that the continued entry of illegal firearms in T&T, the continued recruitment of youths into criminal gangs, drug and human trafficking trade as well as mismanagement within various arms of law enforcement were significant contributors to the crime spike.
Barnes said while many believed illegal guns were entering through T&T’s porous borders, there were easier opportunities to bring in illegal firearms through legal ports of entry.
“For example when a foreign aircraft comes to T&T and in most cases as they reach, Customs and Immigration officials don’t examine that aircraft. The private jet will land in the jet centre, the pilot and crew will come out, meet the protocol officer, go to customs and immigration and then taxi to a particular area. The occupants of the aircraft will be searched but the aircraft is not searched,” Barnes alleged.
Combat specialist and security consultant Dr. Paul Daniel Nahous
Abraham-Diaz
He added, “Are there bomb dogs or sniffer dogs coming into the aircraft? No, there isn’t. Similarly, when boats dock, do people inspect and search the vessels? No. These are the gaps in current procedures and for those who would doubt what I say, let me assure you that I operate in both industries and I have seen this with my own eyes,” he added.
Meanwhile, Nahous said crime has been on the increase because of failures in the national security apparatus and the entry of illegal guns into the country.
“We have mismanagement and underutilization of certain sections of national security. There is an attitude to ostracize people and that has caused expert advice to be lost outside of the system. I want to see a more pragmatic approach to fight against crime not just with the equipment but also with support for the services with the responsibility to protect us,” Nahous said.
Asked to comment on Professor’s Deosaran comment that the anti-gang legislation had failed, Nahous replied, “The anti-gang legislation is being used conveniently as a scapegoat. What we have is a breakdown of national security. Criminals are advancing quickly, gangs are upgraded, their tactics are upgraded while we have failed nationally to secure borders and break the backs of the gangs.”
Prof Ramesh Deosaran
He explained, “There need to be in place a national security apparatus that goes past the traditional policing. The Coast Guard, Customs and Immigration all have a big role to play. Customs is a law enforcement body and there is a breakdown that has led to the advancement of the criminal elements when it comes to the shipment of illegal guns,” Dr Nahous said.
He called for better coordination of all arms of national security as it relates to the mobilization of resources.
“There should be better utilization of experts in national security,” Dr Nahous said, adding, “There has been a move to ostracize professionals because of political reasons and this has led to the loss of expertise in the fight against crime.”