EIGHT new preventive detention orders issued under the state of emergency (SoE) against alleged gang leaders and members accused of fuelling violent crime, trafficking operations, and orchestrating plots from behind prison walls have been gazetted.

The eight legal notices, issued between August 13 and August 25, were gazetted on September 2, and identify organised criminal groups (OCGs) operating across communities from Arima to Diego Martin, Penal, and Point Fortin.

The notices suggest several detainees were not only active on the streets but also continued to influence gang activity while incarcerated. One alleged faction leader with access to a cache of rifles was accused of working with imprisoned gang leaders to plan public executions of security officials and coordinate kidnappings. Another was said to be an active participant in prison-based criminal networks that smuggled contraband, including narcotics and cellphones, to sustain gang activity on the outside.