Owen Alfred, Oswin Moore, Dexter Thomas,

Owen Alfred, Oswin Moore, and Dexter Thomas, all 39 years old, were arrested on Sunday afternoon in Tobago by members of the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau. They were flown to Trinidad aboard a helicopter operated by the Special Anti-Crime Unit and detained in Port-of-Spain.
Yesterday, they appeared before Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrates’ Court.
It is alleged that between June 2002 and July 2005, the trio conspired with United Kingdom- based conspirators to import cocaine into the United Kingdom (UK) from the Caribbean.
Attorneys David West and Sunita Harrikissoon represented the UK Government. Ken Wright appeared for Alfred, while Vashist Maharaj represented Thomas.
The three applied for bail. Wright said Alfred, a tour operator, permanently resides in Tobago and is not considered a flight risk. Moore, a taxi driver, lives at Patience Hill and said it was his first time in a court. Thomas, a father of seven, is a PH driver who said he had two convictions 16 years ago. In objecting to bail, West read out a summary of the facts to the court.
West said it was alleged that the three fugitives conspired with at least ten others to import large quantities of cocaine into the UK from the Caribbean. He said the conspirators used couriers to transport the cocaine. The drugs, he said, were swallowed, hidden about the body or packed into luggage areas.
West said 21 of the couriers were intercepted by officials at their point of departure in the Caribbean or by British officials on arrival at Gatwick, Heathrow or Manchester airports. The prosecutor said more than 13 kilos were seized, but it was estimated that the conspiracy may have successfully imported up to 140 kilos into the UK. West contended that the UK-based conspirators forwarded money to the three fugitives and their associates in Tobago and Grenada. He said the funds were required for the purchase of the drugs and the payment of the couriers.
He said the conspirators assisted their Caribbean counterparts in ensuring the safe entry of the couriers into the UK. “They booked flights, provided documentation to assist in their passage through immigration and met successful couriers at the airport to take possession of the drugs,” West added. West confirmed that in June and July 2006, ten of the conspirators in the UK were convicted and sentenced to prison terms of between six to 22 years. Another 11 are awaiting trial for conspiracy to import cocaine into the UK. West said the three wanted Tobago men played significant roles in the conspiracy operating in the Caribbean. Although two of the men said they had no previous convictions or pending matters, West disputed this. As a result, the court gave West time to verify the accuracy of the wanted men’s antecedents.

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Hamid Lalla,Paul Salandy a drug deal to far ?

multi-million dollar drug bust connection made in the murder of Paul Salandy. Hamid Lalla, 42, was attacked by three men while entering Salandy's Ocean Av, Cocorite, home on Thursday.Lalla was struck by a gun butt, and his throat slit in the ambush. He was discharged from hospital after receiving more than 100 stitches to his neck injury. The attack on Lalla raised the alarm on Salandy's Kidnap. It is believed a financial transaction gone bad between a Venezuelan Cartel and Salandy's Sayfour travel agency, was the partial cause of Salandy's disappearance. Salandy, 59, had Trinidad and Venezuela dual citizenship.
Hamid Lalla, 34, and Keron Ramsahai, 19, appeared before
Magistrate Andrew Stroude in the Port of Spain Magistrates'
Tenth Court charged with possession of marijuana for
the purpose of trafficking, along with two Customs and Excise
charges of importing certain prohibited goods on board a
pirogue named Sasha II and using the vessel to transport
prohibited goods.
Lalla, of Sea Lots and Ramsahai, of Bamboo 3, Valsayn, face
charges arising out of an incident on August 8, 2007 at the
Gulf of Paria, when they were held by Coast Guard officers.
The men were allegedly held with 700 kilogrammes of marijuana
in 32 crocus bags.
They have pleaded not guilty to the Customs charges.

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Paul Salandy , aka Paul Salandy de Four

Man described as a major player in the international drug world, has been shot and killed and his body jumped in the Heights of Guanapo. Paul Salandy of Ocean Avenue, Cocorite, was kidnapped from his home at about 1.30 am on Thursday. His body was found at about 1 pm on Thursday at Dump Road, but he was only identified yesterday at the Forensic Science Centre, Federation Park, by relatives. The body bore gunshot wounds to the head and chest.Detectives of the Western Division said Salandy was “well known to the police.” They believe his kidnapping was as a result of a drug deal which went sour.
They also strongly suspected that there was a “Venezuelan connection” to the killing.

Salandy, also known as Paul Salandy de Four, was the owner of a travel agency in Woodbrook.



A $300,000 ransom was demanded for Salandy’s safe release. Police said no ransom was paid. In 1990, Salandy was arrested in Westmoorings by members of the Narcotic Squad. The officers seized a kilo of cocaine valued $500,000, $180,000 in cash and a motorcar. He was charged by ACP Raymond Craig for the offence and the matter, after 18 years is still pending in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court. Salandy, police said, was also involved in major drug trafficking from Colombia and Venezuela to North America and Europe.

Police said that it was on one of his trips in 2000, that he was arrested in France for being in possession of a quantity of cocaine. Salandy was subsequently charged with the offence and sentenced to four years imprisonment. Upon his release, Salandy was deported to Trinidad and up until his death was the focus of attention of law enforcement officers both locally and in the United States of America.

Salandy was also the owner of a travel agency. Investigations are continuing.

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