Crime in Anguilla increased by one from last week to hit the 25 mark for the period September 2 to 9. Offences included six burglaries, two attempted burglaries, four cases on theft, five involving the possession of Cannabis, seven of criminal damage and one case of robbery.

L-R: Sgt. Yearwood, Supt. Proctor, Sgt. Best and Insp. Sinclair

Police reported that the robbery took on a sinister shape. It occurred at Sur La Plage in West End on Saturday September 5, shortly after 2:00 am when the home of a German national was broken into. The victim was at home at the time. He was tied to his bed by two masked assailants one of which searched the house for valuables while the other guarded his victim. Reports state that the two robbers were armed with a gun. They made off with US$2047 in cash.

According to Sergeant in the Royal Anguilla Police Force, Randolph Yearwood, the victim’s hands and legs were bound and the thugs ordered him to stay in his bed. He did not sustain injuries during his ordeal.

The cases of criminal damage occurred at South Hill, Island Harbour, Rey Hill, Sandy Ground, Blowing Point, Stoney Ground and the Valley. Items damaged included one gas line, a right rear fender, a windshield of a jeep, the left front door of a car, furniture and appliances and a camera.

Yearwood revealed that the cases of theft occurred at North Side, Stoney Ground and two at South Hill. The bandits left with one wallet containing a driver’s licence, bank cards, a credit card and US$160 in cash; two vehicle number plates; a hundred-pound gas cylinder filled with gas; one black wallet with US$50 and other foreign currencies and a Samsung cellular phone.

Yearwood disclosed that the burglaries occurred in West End, South Hill, Blowing Point, and the Valley. Items stolen were a Play Station 2, US$400 in cash, one cash pan with an unknown amount of cash and one bottle of Campari. The two attempted burglaries failed in the Valley and Stoney Ground.

Thirteen Arrests

Arrests for this week more than doubled last week’s figures with the total jumping into double figures. Police Officers held 13 persons including five males for possession of Cannabis in four separate incidents and three males in yet another incident for possession and importation of Cannabis. Other arrests included one male for burglary and attempted fraud, two males for burglary and two more to prevent a beach of the peace.

Sergeant Yearwood indicated that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) was being successful in making inroads into past burglaries. He stated that the persons recently arrested were in connection with past burglaries in South Hill. He said Officers had good leads into burglaries that occurred in the Valley area and opined that the information was good. Someone was in custody assisting Police in those investigations and Yearwood expected that more individuals would be arrested shortly. Progress is also being made regarding burglaries in Blowing Point with at least one arrest imminent.

Yearwood commended persons who came forward with information which aided in the breakthroughs that Police were now enjoying. He encouraged the community to continue supplying intelligence. He said Police Officers were working “around the clock” to solve the burglaries and “would not stop until we get…the majority of these burglaries solved.”

Superintendent of Police, Rudolph Proctor, pointed out that burglars were moving from one community to another and patterns were changing which necessitated a specific strategy by his Force. He highlighted that the perpetrators were young people.

While optimistic about the success in solving burglaries and other crime, Proctor hastened to continue his appeal to the public to help by informing the Royal Anguilla Police Force of “any suspicious activity.”

Fire in Special Needs Classroom

Superintendent Proctor reported that at about 2:00 am on Saturday September 5, Police were alerted that the Unit that housed the Special Needs Programme at the Stoney Ground Primary School was on fire. He said his Officers were investigating the blaze but they were not yet sure of its cause or origin. He detailed that the inferno caused smoke damage to the building. The fire also damaged the air-condition unit, a sink and a fire extinguisher. At present Police are treating the matter as a case of arson. A fire expert is expected to visit Anguilla shortly in connection with the blaze.

Police Confiscates US$100,000 in Drugs

Sergeant in the Drugs and Firearms Taskforce, Brian Best, divulged that, on Friday September 4, Police made three arrests in the Deep Waters and Wallblake areas. A juvenile was part of one arrest. On Saturday Cops were tipped off about activities in Island Harbour which resulted in the arrest of two persons from that area. Along with the arrests, Officers nabbed 22 ‘dime bags’ of Cannabis.

Best revealed that long-term intelligence of illegal activity at Sandy Hill Bay led Police to raid a rubber dingy boat around 12:30 pm on Monday September 7. The haul yielded 43 pounds of compressed Cannabis and the arrest of three men, two Anguillians and one having belonger status.

Best estimated the find to be worth about 100,000 US dollars. He said it was very satisfying because “we have been hearing, over a period of time, that [Sandy Hill] Bay has been used for some illegal activity.” The three men arrested reside in The Valley and Stoney Ground. It was expected that they would appear before the Magistrate on Wednesday September 9. Best stated that two of the three men were well known to Police.

There were six minor traffic accidents recorded during the week.

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