According to a police report, Molotov cocktails were thrown into the cable yard. The minister says copper may be the motive. No one has been charged.
LAVENTILLE, Trinidad – Three people are assisting police with inquiries into a suspected arson at the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) Laventille Work Centre, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) said Sunday. No one has been charged, and police have not said who was responsible.
According to a police report cited by the Guardian, construction workers hired to clear the cable yard at the Eastern Main Road compound were attacked at about 5:15 p.m. Saturday by people described as Beetham residents, who threw missiles and lit Molotov cocktails onto the compound. Workers put out the first fires with extinguishers, but more lit cocktails were thrown over the wall and set some cables alight. The TTPS said a major fire involving insulated copper cable was reported at about 10:25 p.m.
Overnight, between midnight and 6 a.m. Sunday, police ran operations in Beetham, Laventille and surrounding areas, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police for Operations Suzette Martin. Officers searched several locations, vehicles and people and spoke to residents about suspicious activity. Crime Scene Investigators processed the compound, and police have asked for CCTV footage from surrounding areas. Martin said police take the incident “extremely seriously” because of the threat to critical infrastructure and to emergency responders.
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath said authorities suspect arson, but investigators must establish what happened. He noted that TSTT’s copper was recently put out for public tender and that copper is one of the company’s greatest assets. Padarath said vandalism and copper theft at TSTT have increased in recent weeks and months, and he suggested the attack may have been motivated by the sale of the copper. He said stolen metal has been taken to the south-western coast and shipped abroad, and that the Government has its own theories about possible involvement of people inside the company, outside it and service providers. He called those suspicions that are receiving attention from the authorities. Padarath also said the loss assessment will have to include renovation work at the site, and that TSTT will consult Angostura on the effect on its compound.
Residents gave the Guardian their own accounts, which Aurax News has not verified. One said cable theft has been a long-running problem at the compound and suggested the attack may have been an attempt to stop workers removing cables. Another said workers began moving the cables on Friday without being challenged, and that trouble began when a truck driver was harassed by several Beetham residents.
The Fire Service Association Second Division said circulating footage appeared to show masked individuals setting the premises alight, and called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible. It also called for stronger laws holding arsonists accountable for injuries to firefighters and other first responders, including higher penalties and compensation. One firefighter was hospitalized with superficial facial injuries and smoke inhalation.
Laventille West MP Kareem Marcelle condemned the alleged actions, saying he did so if the reports were accurate, and urged anyone with information to contact the police. Former Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales called for a security assessment of all TSTT facilities. Aurax News has not independently verified the video or the account of what happened.