THE HOMELAND SECURITY MINISTER ROGER ALEXANDER, APPLAUDS THE WORK OF THE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO POLICE FOR THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR COCAINE BUST IN LONGDENVILLE.

OVERNIGHT ON WEDNESDAY INTO YESTERDAY, POLICE ARE SAID TO HAVE DISCOVERED THE COCAINE HIDDEN INSIDE FOUR BACKHOE TYRES.

THE DRUG WEIGHED IN AT 416.5 KILOGRAMMES AND CARRIES AN ESTIMATED STREET VALUE OF TT$193.5 MILLION TT DOLLARS.

POLICE SAY, THEIR ENQUIRIES FOCUSED ON THE SUSPECTED CONCEALMENT OF ILLEGAL FIREARMS, AND NARCOTICS AT PREMISES ALONG POKHOR ROAD, LONGDENVILLE.

MINISTER ALEXANDER SAID,YESTERDAY POLICE ARE WORKING.

OFFICERS SAY, THEY SEARCHED A RESIDENCE, WAREHOUSE AND SURROUNDING COMPOUND UNDER SECTION 12 OF THE EMERGENCY POWERS REGULATIONS 2026.

DURING THE SEARCH, THEY ARE SAID TO HAVE FOUND SIX LARGE BACKHOE TYRES, MOUNTED ON RIMS INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE.

A CLOSER EXAMINATION IS REPORTED TO HAVE REVEALED, RECTANGULAR SHAPED PACKAGES INSIDE FOUR OF THE TYRES.

POLICE SAY, 420 PACKAGES WERE SEIZED.

A 42-YEAR-OLD BUSINESSMAN FROM THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS WAS ARRESTED, IN CONNECTION WITH THE SEIZURE.

TWO SAINT LUCIAN NATIONALS, AGED 38 AND 37, WERE ALSO DETAINED.

THE SEIZED ITEMS WERE TAKEN TO THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT IN PORT OF SPAIN, WHILE THE THREE DETAINED PERSONS WERE TAKEN TO THE ST. JOSEPH POLICE STATION PENDING FURTHER ENQUIRIES.