Trinidadians detained for daylight armed bank robbery 

by Linda Straker

• Hon. Kindra Maturine-Stewart issued statement via Facebook late Monday
• 5 Trinidadians implicated in midday armed robbery
• Second time in 2 years Carriacou jolted by cross-border raid by regional criminal elements

Hours after masked men with guns robbed a bank, 5 Trinidadians have been implicated in the midday armed robbery of the Carriacou branch of the Grenada Co-operative Bank which occurred on 18 October 2021.

“As the Member of Parliament for Carriacou and Petite Martinique, I applaud the law enforcement and security forces on the island whose swift action today, Monday, October 18, 2021, ensured that 5 foreign nationals allegedly implicated in the robbing of a bank in our peaceful community were captured,” Hon. Kindra Maturine-Stewart, Member of Parliament for Carriacou and Petite Martinique said in a statement issued via her Facebook page late Monday.

Maturine-Stewart who is also the Minister for Legal Affairs said her office was informed that 5 men identified as Trinidadian nationals were captured at sea during their attempted getaway from the island after robbing the bank’s Carriacou branch located in Hillsborough. “Indeed, the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique are heartened by the swift and efficient action of the local police and coast guard which reflects the improved local security capacity on the island. In recent years, the government invested great resources in personnel and equipment in our ongoing efforts at improved security,” her statement said.

The statement in its entirety reads:

“As the Member of Parliament for Carriacou and Petite Martinique, I applaud the law enforcement and security forces on the island whose swift action today, Monday October 18, 2021, ensured that five foreign nationals allegedly implicated in the robbing of a bank in our peaceful community were captured.

My office has been informed that men identified as all Trinidadian nationals were captured at sea during their attempted getaway from the island after allegedly robbing the Carriacou branch of the Grenada Co-operative Bank located at Hillsborough, Carriacou.

Indeed, the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique are heartened by the swift and efficient action of the local police and coast guard which reflects the improved local security capacity on the island.

In recent years, the government invested great resources in personnel and equipment in our ongoing efforts at improved security.

Despite that fact, we are determined to review even further some of the local security operations since this is the second time within 2 years that our very peaceful community has been jolted by what is effectively a cross-border raid by regional criminal elements.

We are thankful that none of our citizens were hurt during today’s dramatic development, though witnesses would have had some trauma since it is unusual in one of the most serene and peaceful jurisdictions in this hemisphere.”

Police in Grenada are yet to issue a statement on the capture, but in the immediate aftermath of the robbery, issued a statement confirming the armed robbery and called for anyone with information to contact 911.

On 11 October 2019, the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) announced that Carriacou Police were investigating an armed robbery that occurred about 8:30 am. The robbers went away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Maturine-Stewart said that despite the capturing of the men, her office is determined to review even further some of the local security operations since this is the second time within 2 years that her peaceful community has been jolted by what is effectively a cross-border raid by regional criminal elements.

In late October 2020, Acting Police Commissioner Edvin Martin confirmed that the RGPF were informed by their counterparts in St Vincent and the Grenadines that were are 2 suspects in custody, believed to be associated with the credit union robbery in Carriacou.

In February 2020, the RGPF issued a news release saying that Grenada had withdrawn an application to have 2 Vincentian men extradited to Grenada in connection with the October 2019 armed robbery of the Grenada Union of Teachers Credit Union branch in Hillsborough, Carriacou. The release assured, “With the matter requiring further investigation and ultimately additional time, the RGPF requested that the suspects be discharged as the investigations continue.”