The illegal copper and metal export trade in Trinidad and Tobago is a US multi-million dollar business that is part of an international crime operation with links to Venezuela and China.
The Trinidad Guardian reports that criminologist Dr Daurius Figueira, who has a vast network of local and Latin American crime sources as well as sources close to the trade, revealed that the local trade is driven by crime bosses in Trinidad.
The paper reports that one of the prominent bosses of the trade is a notorious criminal figure who was recently released from jail on a murder charge and has the final say in most of the illicit transactions.
The illegal scrap metal trade in Trinidad and Tobago has cost state utility companies dearly in the last two years, with losses estimated at $25 million.
Those involved in the illegal trade include local and Venezuelan gangs, the Chinese mafia, and well-resourced businesses that are exporting the illegal product mainly to China.
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