Heavily armed police and army officers swooped down on several illegally operated quarries in the Valencia and Wallerfield area yesterday arresting 12 men and impounding several pieces of heavy equipment used in the trade.
By Gregory Lal-BeharieThe Valencia area has become known for extortion, murder and kidnappings and Assistant Commissioner of Police Gilbert Reyes told the Express that yesterday's raids were carried out in response to continued reports of illegal quarrying in both areas, and upsurge of lawlessness and weapons in the area.
With National Security helicopters hovering overhead, several police divisions including the Inter-agency task force, the Special Anti-crime Unit (SAUTT), Eastern, North Eastern, and Southern division police officers, together with members of the Defence Force rolled into 11 quarries around 10 a.m yesterday and arrested 12 persons.
Nine of the 11 quarries were said to be operated by the Jamaat al Muslimeem whose leader Yasin Abu Bakr is currently in jail without bail after being charged with several offences, among them a terrorism charge.
The Jamaat-al-Muslimeen has been accused of muscling its way into the industry, at first claiming to have inherited a lease giving them the rights to mine in the midst of a boom in the construction sector which has fueled a demand for aggregate making quarrying a highly lucrative industry.
In response to questions on what action Government intended to take against illegal quarry operators, Energy Minister Eric Williams said in July at a post-Cabinet press conference that the issue was proving to be a "legal nightmare" and was not a simple matter to resolve.
"There was something put in train to try to resolve this thing - the Minerals Act of 2000 -but the fact is that it is deficient. We've also had conflicting advice from different lawyers as to which law is applicable" Williams said then.
He said the Minerals Act was in conflict with the EMA Act 2000 and the State Lands Act and "there was a legal argument as to which one superseded which."
Williams had said in July: "We have just now arrived at a clear legal understanding that there is something we can do. (But) all along the police officers were not clear how to address and which one (law) to use, and would it stand up in court because the three (laws) are in conflict with each other. It's a legal nightmare."
Asked if there would be free reign for illegal operators until new laws are implemented, Williams said, "We have to get the thing right otherwise we'd be chasing shadows. We now know that arrests can be made under the State Lands Act."
He also said that the system for checking the volume of products moving back and forth has been "notoriously inefficient."
Williams said his ministry was now moving to have the necessary legislative amendments to regulate the quarry industry.
Meanwhile, there are reports that on two occasions last week light airplanes were seen flying low over some of the quarries on the Valencia Old Road. Eyewitnesses told police that packages were dropped off the planes. ACP Reyes yesterday confirmed the report and told the Express that searches were immediately carried out but nothing was found.
Of the 12 persons arrested yesterday on charges of operating an illegal quarry, ten will appear before a Sangre Grande magistrate, while two others held in Wallerfield will appear at the Arima Magistrates' Court.
