Police say they believe they may have seized the weapon, or at least one like it, that was used in the shooting of businessman Parmanand “Pancho” Yarna. Yarna was shot on June 12 around 6 am while standing near his snackette, Pancho’s, on Queen Street, Port-of-Spain. Speaking to the media at the Besson Street Police Station yesterday, Insp Sahadeo Singh said the weapon, usually used in war, matched the type of bullet which was removed from Yarna.
Yarna remained warded at hospital yesterday recovering from the gunshot wound. Singh said from the spot where Yarna was shot there was a clear line of sight to the hills of Laventille, close to where the gun, an M-16, was found. Singh added that shell casings for the type of ammunition used in the gun, 5.56mm, were found last Sunday in the Picton Road area, where mother of five Petrina Salandy and teenager Rohan Ayres were killed in crossfire.
Police said the Besson Street CID, the Inter-Agency Task Force, the Port-of-Spain Criminal Investigations Department and the Guard and Emergency Branch went on an exercise in the Laventille area between 2 and 7 pm on Thursday.
They found an M-16 assault rifle, .38 revolver and 177 assorted rounds of ammunition, as well as 50 grammes of marijuana at Richardson Lane, Laventille. Police said eight people were held on outstanding warrants, and for possession of a revolver and ammunition. No one was held in connection with the rifle. Thursday’s discovery means police have now seized 347 guns for the year. JL