Bandits on pre-Xmas crime spree in east Trinidad

- File photo

NORTHERN and eastern police divisions are investigating a series of robberies and break-ins leading into the Christmas week, including a daring daylight heist at a popular textile store and the carjacking of a Coast Guard officer.

Police are searching for a man with a distinct skin condition following a robbery at Yufe’s Ltd in Arima on the morning of December 22.

Around 11 am, two men entered the establishment and walked directly behind the counter, where a female cashier was tallying the store's takings.

One man announced a robbery while his accomplice pulled out a handgun. The fearful cashier handed over a plastic bag containing an undisclosed sum of cash.

The first suspect is described as slim, of African descent, wearing a red jersey and a cap. He has visible tinea versicolour (white spots) on the left side of his face. His accomplice was dressed in dark clothing.

In a separate incident on December 21, a female petty officer of the TT Coast Guard was robbed of her $250,000 Hyundai Tucson.

Around 10.36 pm, the officer was getting out of her car near her home in Arima when two armed men in dark clothing accosted her. They demanded her keys and fled in the white SUV.

Arima police are also investigating the disappearance of an 18-foot shipping container from a job site at St Carlos Road, Manuel Congo.

Reports say an employee left the site around 3 pm on December 20. When he returned on December 22, he found the container missing.

In Malabar, a 37-year-old self-employed man was robbed in front of his wife and daughter at their home around midday on December 22.

Reports say the family's front door was unlocked, and the two men walked into their home. One of the suspects is reportedly known to the victim.

The men made off with an Inco welding plant, a DeWalt chop saw, an air compressor, a Sony 32-inch smart TV, and $1,300 in cash. The men fled in a silver Mazda 3.

Meanwhile in Valencia, a 22-year-old Sunshine Snacks salesman was lured into an ambush on December 22.

The victim told police he received a call from a "new customer" directing him to Gocool Lands, Valencia Old Road. On arrival, four masked men surrounded the truck, beat the salesman about the head, and robbed him of $600 and his iPhone 13.

The bandits then used bolt cutters to break into the truck’s vault, escaping with approximately $12,000 in cash.

In Sangre Grande, burglars broke into Darryl’s Famous Food at the corner of Foster Road and Brierley Street, gaining access by cutting through the galvanised roof.

The restaurant supervisor discovered the break-in on the morning of December 22. The establishment's safe, valued at $8,000, was damaged during the burglary. The thieves, however, were only able to steal a BLU cellphone.