TWO POLICEMEN were allegedly caught red-handed yesterday accepting bribes.

The two officers, a constable and an acting corporal, allegedly took agouti meat and $3,000 in exchange for foregoing a charge of driving without insurance against a motorist.

The sting operation was carried out by Inspector Wayne Lawrence, Corporal Ali and others officers of the Chaguanas CID.

The Express was told that the motorist was held during a police exercise carried out by police officers of the Longdenville police post on Wednesday afternoon.

He was warned that he could be charged with the offence pending further investigations and released.

Hours later, the two police officers, who were not involved in the police exercise, turned up at the house of the motorist and asked him to accompany them to the Longdenville Police Post.

The police officers asked the motorist to contact the owner of the vehicle, who also came to police station.

The officers told the owner of the vehicle that the charge would be dropped if he paid them $7,000. The man negotiated and eventually the bribe was settled at $3,000 and an agouti.

The man contacted his wife and told her to bring the cash and the meat to the police station. The wife instead contacted her relative who is a police officer, and officers of the Chaguanas Police Station were called in.

A team of police officers led by Inspector Lawrence went to the Longdenville police post, and waited for the wife to bring the envelope with the cash and the bag containing the meat. She went into the police station and shortly after, the police team followed and found the envelope and the bag in the possession of the policeman.

The policemen, who have a combined total of 30 years service, were arrested and taken to the Chaguanas CID.

They were expected to be charged with misbehaviour in public office and may appear in court today.