In Brief
- Macabre discovery: Seven human cadavers were found stored inside a refrigeration unit at a compound off the Uriah Butler Highway in Central Trinidad on Thursday morning.
- Joint inspection: The discovery was made by officers of the Multi-Agency Task Force (MATF) and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) during a site visit.
- No paperwork: The operator of the establishment was unable to provide authorities with documentation identifying the bodies or proving he had legal authority to store them.
- Ongoing probe: The Homicide Bureau of Investigations and Central Division police are currently working to identify the remains and determine if laws regarding the handling of human remains were breached.
Police have launched an investigation after seven human cadavers were discovered stored inside a refrigeration unit at a compound in Central Trinidad on Thursday morning.
The grim discovery was made by officers of the Multi-Agency Task Force (MATF) and personnel from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) during an inspection of a premises located off the Uriah Butler Highway. The site is situated south of Courts and adjacent to Conex Readymix Ltd.
According to a press release issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) on Friday, the EMA had requested the MATF’s assistance to visit the location on Wednesday.
Upon arriving at the compound at approximately 10:40 a.m. on Thursday, the joint team met a man who identified himself as the operator of an establishment on the site.
Following a briefing regarding the EMA report, authorities inspected the premises and found the seven bodies being kept in a refrigeration unit within one of the buildings.
“The individual was asked to provide documentation relating to the identities of the deceased persons and the authority under which the cadavers were being kept at the location,” the TTPS stated. “He was unable, at the time, to produce the requested documentation.”
Following the discovery, Senior Superintendent Bhagwandeen of the Central Division was contacted to assign an investigator and Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) to the location. Superintendent Persad of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations (HBI), Region Two, was also notified and immediately dispatched a team to the scene.
Police say the investigation is currently focused on establishing the identities of the deceased and determining exactly how the cadavers came to be at the location.
Authorities are also looking into whether the operator observed all legal and regulatory requirements governing the possession, handling, and storage of human remains.
Investigators are continuing their enquiries to determine if any laws or regulations were breached, and the TTPS noted that further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
