AT LEAST 19 Trinidadian Muslims are now in the custody of the Venezuelan intelligence service SEBIN (Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional), under the suspicion of being terrorists.
Well-placed intelligence sources in Venezuela confirmed the arrests of the Trinidadians, along with two other non-nationals at Plaza Hotel in Sabana Grande, Caracas.
The arrests followed a daytime raid last Wednesday.
The Express and TV6 News understand that three Trinidadian imams were among those held during the raid.
They are all being detained at SEBIN headquarters in Caracas.
The Express and TV6 News were informed that officers from SEBIN searched the hotel rooms of the Trinidadians and found military-style uniforms and Jihadist videos.
They also confiscated US$102,000 in cash and 66 passports that were in the possession of one of the Imams, who is attached to the Montrose Masjid.
The imams claimed they were not connected to the group and said they had come to Venezuela to secure visas at the Saudi Arabian consulate for Trinidadians who were going to the Hajj pilgrimage.
But intelligence sources in Venezuela who checked into their story indicated that the imams had some of the arrested group members’ passports in their custody.
“When we checked into their story we understand that they were trying to get the passports of these group members renewed by going to their consulate here in Venezuela.”
Intelligence sources close to the investigation informed the Express and TV6 News that the imams were attempting to renew the passports of the members, stating that they were travelling to Syria in a few months.
A high-ranking security source in Venezuela told the Express and TV6 News that the Trinidadians are being treated as suspected terrorists as it is believed they were leaving for Syria to fight in the Jihadist war.
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