Police suspect Molotov cocktails started the TSTT cable yard fire. Six were held for questioning; no charges yet.
Police have held six people for questioning in connection with Saturday night’s fire at the TSTT Work Centre cable yard in Laventille, which they said was started by suspected Molotov cocktails thrown into the compound. No one has been charged.
Speaking at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s weekly media briefing, four days after the fire, officers said the investigation is continuing. Acting Assistant Superintendent Salindra Singh urged anyone with information to come forward and said reports can be made anonymously. She said people can call 555 or 800-TIPS, and that police will act on the information through an investigative or tactical response, depending on what it is.
An assistant superintendent said the information obtained from those interviewed had not yet reached the threshold at which police could pursue charges against anyone. Some of the six people have since been released. He said investigators are examining reports that the attackers approached the compound on foot across a nearby bus route and fled the scene, throwing items into the compound as they ran. He said the information suggests the people may live nearby, but police can only speculate on whether they are from the area.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Suzette Martin said officers continue to engage residents in Laventille, Beetham and Sea Lots, and stressed that the police response is aimed at criminal behavior and not the communities. She said the vast majority of residents are hardworking, law-abiding people and that police are committed to working with them through community policing and stakeholder engagement. The fire destroyed an estimated $20 million or more in copper cable, according to earlier reports.
