A routine sale arranged on Facebook Marketplace turned into a robbery yesterday, ending with the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of stolen items.
According to a police report, Sgt Lucas and officers from the Port-of-Spain Task Force were patrolling close to Charlotte Street when they received a robbery report.
Earlier that day, around 3.30 pm, two people had gone to the corner of Oxford and Charlotte streets to sell an iPhone 15. They had arranged the sale with a prospective buyer through Facebook Marketplace.
The suspect approached the passenger side of the vehicle, posing as the buyer.
As the seller showed him the phone, the suspect handed over a white envelope and swiftly snatched the iPhone, valued at $7,500. He also grabbed another iPhone 15, of similar value, from the other person in the car before running along Charlotte Street.
Acting on the report, the officers searched the area and found a man matching the suspect’s description.
He was stopped and searched and according to police, the two stolen phones were found on him.
The suspect, a 29-year-old from East Dry River, was arrested and taken to the Besson Street Police Station.
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service again yesterday reminded the public to conduct transactions at secure locations, such as police stations, and to verify payment before parting with goods.