Police seized a high-powered rifle loaded with ten (10) rounds of ammunition after it was discovered and seized by officers of the Guard and Emergency Branch during a police operation conducted in Cocorite on Friday 18th July, 2025. The operation was executed under the ongoing Emergency Powers Regulations 2025 (State of Emergency).

According to the TTPS, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., a team of officers conducted several house-to-house searches in the Waterhole area of Cocorite. During the exercise, the officers reportedly heard several loud explosions believed to be gunshots. Acting on key intelligence, the team searched a bushy area behind Building Four near a mosque, where they uncovered a rifle concealed beneath a sheet of galvanize.

The weapon was found to be loaded with ten rounds of live ammunition. Although no arrests have yet been made, police report that an arrest is imminent. The firearm has been submitted to the Forensic Science Centre for ballistic testing, as investigations continue. This discovery underscores the importance of targeted police action under the current SOE in removing illegal weapons from communities and ensuring public safety.

Additionally, in a separate incident around 4:20 a.m. on Saturday, 19th July 2025, officers of the South-Western Divisional Task Force, West (SWDTF-WEST), acting on intelligence, conducted a targeted operation at a Bar, located along the Point Fortin Main Road.

The exercise was led by Cpl Swan and included WPC Cobham, PCs Steele, Garvin, and Mason, they searched a man matching the description of a suspect reportedly armed with a firearm. Although nothing illegal was found on his person, a subsequent search of the
male washroom of the establishment led to the discovery of a firearm concealed beneath a toilet tank cover.

The weapon was identified as a Jennings pistol, along with seven (7) .380 ammunition. The firearm and ammunition were seized and are currently undergoing forensic analysis. Enquiries are ongoing in both matters.