HEAD of the Chaguaramas Land Owners’ Committee, Augustin Noel, was yesterday arrested and taken to the Carenage Police Station after he attempted to have a ’cook-up’ opposite the Chaguaramas Convention Centre.

Noel, 72, along with several members of his group, intended to stage a mass invasion into various areas in Chaguaramas from 7 a.m. yesterday to signal to the government that they were intent on rightfully reclaiming the lands they said was stolen from them by the state.

But as the group’s members began gathering at the side of the Aluminium Company of America’s (ALCOA) facility in Chaguaramas, so too, did the police and officers attached to the CDA.

By 9 a.m., what was supposed to be an invasion by native Chaguaramas land owners looked more like a beach lime protected by numerous police patrols.

Braving the heavy rainfall, the small group left the area near ALCOA and drove into an area opposite the Convention Centre to set up their tent and firecracker. Officers from the CDA subsequently came and told the group to leave.

Noel, however, said the pot was already hot and said he saw no reason why they should leave.

’That piece of land we was on belonged to us. We had right to be there, but they said we couldn’t because I’m a security threat,’ he said.

Noel was released from the station around 2 p.m. yesterday but has been ordered to appear before the Second Magistrates’ Court in Port of Spain tomorrow.