Police in Trinidad foil drone-assisted plot to smuggle contraband into prison
Published:Sunday | October 5, 2025 | 12:42 PM
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – A major intelligence-led operation in Trinidad involving several arms of national security disrupted an attempted drone-based contraband smuggling operation near the Arouca Maximum Security Prison between Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Acting on credible intelligence, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance in the Forde Street Extension, Bon Air area, after receiving reports of individuals attempting to use a drone to smuggle contraband into the prison.
A search of a nearby bushy area resulted in the apprehension of two suspects — a 13-year-old boy from Oropune Gardens and a 26-year-old man from Tunapuna — who attempted to flee by running through dense vegetation and leaping from a 25-foot embankment.
They were held following a targeted search of a river in the area.
Police said one of them sustained injuries during his escape attempt and was treated at a medical facility.
Several items were confiscated during the operation, including a drone and controller, 16 drone batteries, 15 Samsung cell phones, over a kilogramme of cannabis, 256 packs of cigarettes, 50 packs of rolling papers, 20 packs of hemp, 12 lighters, a digital scale, 15 cell phones, 12 charging blocks, a power bank, two LCD screens, 16 wired headsets, 15 USB cables, nail clippers, a nail file and a flick knife.
A simultaneous search inside the Maximum Security Prison turned up additional contraband.
A nearby premises was also searched under Section 12 of the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2025, but no illegal items were found.
Investigations are continuing under the supervision of Acting Corporal Hyde.
In a statement, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) said investigations are continuing.
It said it remains committed, along with the Prison Service, to disrupting criminal networks and preventing illegal items from entering correctional facilities.
The exercise was coordinated by Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, Deputy Commissioner Suzette Martin, and Senior Superintendent of Prisons Lee Davis.
The joint operation involved personnel from the TTPS, the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Specialist Units, the Port of Spain Task Force, the Multi Operational Police Section, the Crime Scene Unit, the Prison Service, and the Special Investigative Unit.
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