Mosquito Fear Prevents Drug Bust Arrests

Lieutenant Commander Norman Dindial, ex-T&T Defence Force, has criticized Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro’s failure to arrest anyone in two significant drug seizures over 24 hours. Guevarro argued that he did not want to risk his officers contracting dengue from mosquito bites while surveilling the drug sites in Caroni Swamp and Point Fortin. In his speech at the City Police sub-station opening, Guevarro confirmed the use of a US-installed radar to detect a second drug stash in Point Fortin, with 625 kg seized. This followed the confiscation of 1,560 kg of marijuana with an estimated street value of $171,205,320 in Caroni Swamp. Guevarro justified the lack of arrests, stating the risk of leaving officers exposed to mosquitoes for surveillance purposes outweighed the benefit.