65 held on party boat in January charged by summons

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All 65 people who were held on a party boat in Carenage earlier this month have now been charged with breaching the Public Health Regulations.

The Police Service said yesterday that they were all charged via summons.

The 65 people were held by officers of the Coastal and Riverine Patrol Unit (CRPU) after they intercepted a ‘party boat’ at sea on Monday, January 3.

Police said that around 11 pm on Sunday, January 2, members of the CRPU embarked on an operation in the Western Peninsular.

The team maintained surveillance while at Alcan Bay, Chaguaramas, during which time they observed several vehicles entering the area.

The officers observed both adult males and females exiting from the vehicles while dressed in what appeared to be clothing for a party before boarding a pirogue at different intervals which was making trips to an unknown location at sea.

Police later observed a white catamaran sailing west of Pt Gourde with a large group of persons on board being served drinks and dancing to music and instructed the captain of the vessel to stop.

The vessel was taken to the Coast Guard headquarters at Staubles Bay. Police also found a Sig Sauer pistol fitted with a magazine containing ten rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition on the vessel.

All on board the vessel were taken to the Carenage Police Station where they were interviewed and released pending further investigations.

Police said yesterday that having conducted further investigations all 65 persons were charged with breach of gathering in excess of 10 people contrary to the Public Health Ordinance Regulations 2021 Section (3).

The captain of the vessel along with a female suspect were also charged for holding a public party contrary to Regulation 4(1) (b) of the Public Health Ordinance Regulation 2021 Section (3).

Further instructions were received to charge all 65 people by way of summons.