FOUR firearms, including a Russian-made AK-47 assault rifle and a shot gun were seized and 43 people including a member of the regiment were arrested following two exercises in the Diego Martin and Laventille areas.

In addition to the weapons, officers also found bullet-proof vests, ammunition, handcuffs, wireless radios and camouflage kits.

Police said during the period 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Thursday, members of the Western Division Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Tactical Unit executed a warrant at a house located at Upper Rich Plain Road, Diego Martin, in search of arms and ammunition.

Upon executing a seach on one of the bedrooms, police said they found a crocus bag containing the AK-47 assault rifle, an ammunition magazine loaded with 25 rounds of ammunition, two bullet- proof vests, two wireless radios and a camouflage kit.

A 36-year-old woman, her 19-year-old son and her daughter-in-law, also 19, who were in the house at the time were arrested and taken into custody and were assisting officers with their investigations up to yesterday evening.

Police said the three are expected to be charged over the weekend and will appear before a Port of Spain Magistrate on Monday.

In the second exercise, a team of officers from the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF), Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) and Court and Process Branch went to the Canada and Beverly Hills area in Laventille where they found three firearms—a nine millimetre handgun, a shotgun, a rifle, a bullet-proof vest, two handcuffs and a tripod for the use of the rifle, police said.

The 32-year-old soldier, who was one of the 40 people held in that exercise, was arrested after he was found to be in possession of 30 grammes of marijuana.

The exercise, which was headed by Snr Supr Carlton Alleyne, took place between 11 p.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m. yesterday.

Other persons were arrested on outstanding warrants for offences including robbery and firearm-related offences.