A CLANDESTINE business arrangement between a gangster from the United Kingdom and a senior Trinidad and Tobago Government official allegedly linked to money laundering, arms trafficking and drug smuggling is now being closely monitored by local and foreign law enforcement officials.
The gangster, who is originally from T&T but has dual citizenship and has lived in the UK for several years, is suspected of being one of the Seven Gang’s primary financiers.
director no more: A Companies House document shows the high-ranking Government official terminated his appointment as director of the corporation on July 17, 2024.
A document showing the cessation of the high-ranking UK official in 2024.
For years, he allegedly used his network of shell companies to avoid detection while directing unlawful activities in North America, Europe and the Caribbean.
Multiple law enforcement intelligence sources who spoke with CCN during the course of a three-month investigation confirmed that various intelligence files documenting the gangster’s transatlantic illicit actions had been compiled.
In some cases, parts of these reports were shared with CCN, outlining his “long arms” in this country and across the globe.
These reports pointed to coordinated smuggling activities and a complex web of financial transactions spanning North America, Europe and the Caribbean.
With the assistance of a European investigative counterpart, CCN identified a slew of shell companies that intelligence sources say helped conceal unlawful profits from global gun and drug running operations over time.
What’s even more concerning is his extensive involvement in the illegal firearms trade that has intensified in T&T over the last few years.
According to sources, he has ties throughout the United States, Caribbean and Europe, which allow him to easily smuggle firearms across borders.
sharing address: All the registered companies carried the address of this London apartment.
“He has two counterparts in the US known by the aliases ‘Fathead’ and ‘Rman’, originally from Diego Martin, who facilitate the illegal guns from the US to Trinidad. And when it gets here, a man known as ‘Lman’ from Carenage is responsible for distribution,” a national security source said.
The CCN investigation, which began in late November, was spurred by a tip-off from another high-level national security source, which led CCN to the UK’s company registry, also called Companies House.
There, a startling discovery was made: a high-ranking T&T Government official was identified as one of two directors of a company formed on September 15, 2023.
The other director of the company, who was listed first, was the Seven Gang’s principal financier.
According to law enforcement sources, this discovery raised red flags—not only about the nature of the business arrangement but also about what the high-ranking Government official stood to gain from this private limited company.
The UK company registry listed the business as providing “other transportation support activities”—a vague description that a European source said “could be a front for something far more sinister”.
Shareholding in this particular company was equally held by the Government official and the gangster, the document indicated.
Ten months later, on July 17, 2024, the high-ranking Government official ceased to be a person with considerable control while also terminating his appointment as director of the corporation, according to the documents obtained by CCN.
The lone director and shareholder then remained the Seven Gang principal financier.
The Government official’s date of birth was recorded as part of the company’s information and was cross-referenced with his date of birth from other public records available, confirming it was the same person with a somewhat uncommon middle name.
In early December 2024, CCN sent several questions to the Government official via WhatsApp, and repeatedly over the next three months until the end of February this year.
The Government official declined to answer any questions regarding the controversial business arrangement and his long-time associate (the Seven Gang financier), who has remained under local law enforcement scrutiny for nearly 25 years. (• See box with questions)
Various sources told CCN that the Government official over the past months contacted several people for advice on whether to answer any of the questions and informed them about the impending story.
Sources further revealed that an overseas law enforcement agency had reported the high-ranking Government official’s alleged business activities and that several Government officials here were aware of the business arrangement.
A deep dive into filings at the Integrity Commission for 2023 by CCN revealed some key details about the high-ranking official.
Records show he co-owns a house in Central Trinidad with his wife, is a registered member of a political party, and is also affiliated with a particular association.
There is however no mention of his directorship at the UK company in those filings.
In his signed declaration of 2023 Form B, handed in September 2024, there was no mention under the heading directorship of companies or corporations of this particular company he had assumed directorship of in September 2023.
An official at the Integrity Commission explained to CCN on our second visit there last Friday that while Form A, which is filled out by the declarant, would not be available to the public because of sensitive financial information and their spouses or children, usuall,y if something like a directorship is mentioned in Form A, in most cases, the Integrity Commission would meet and would ask the declarant for it to also be included in Form B.
“It should be referred to in Form B and must be included in their 2023 declaration,” the official explained.
“If they are a director in a company in September 2023, then by December 31, 2023, that should be part of their declaration—when they file in 2024,” the official said.
With the help of a European investigative entity, CCN discovered that the company related to the Government official and UK gangster was not the only one under scrutiny.
In fact, a clear pattern emerged. Over the past 32 years, the Seven Gang financier has registered at least seven other companies—most of which have either been dissolved or are now dormant.
But two remain active, raising even more questions about their true purpose and whether the previous companies were used to facilitate illicit activities before being shut down.
The investigation uncovered several anomalies about these companies created by the Seven Gang financier:
1. All the companies share a common address in London and two suite numbers that are located at an apartment.
2. They also share a common company formation agent.
3. The recent companies seemed to have never filed any real financial statements; they never appeared to actually do business as companies. Most are now inactive, and one has yet to file a financial statement.
4. Doing an advanced search on these companies in the UK company registry revealed most had been dissolved and perhaps indicative of them being shell companies.
Some of the inactive or dormant companies of the Seven Gang financier provided perceived automotive services or telecommunications activities.
A closer look at the telecoms business indicated a fairly obvious trend, similar to some of the other companies.
That particular company was incorporated in November 2020 and later dissolved on August 3, 2021.
The last accounts were made on November 30, 2020 (but accounts indicated it was a dormant company and was struck off in July 2021 and dissolved in August 2021 by the Seven Gang financier who was the sole shareholder in this particular company, like many of the others).
Deeper research found that the Seven Gang financier, with his full name, had been listed as an ICT consultant at a high school in London until 2018. The European investigative entity noted, in digging for further information on the individual, that “it may be of further interest that his electronic footprint disappears after his school appointment”.
According to law enforcement sources, the Seven Gang financier is “low key” and rarely takes photos, but he is also described as “the mastermind” and “clever with his professional background”.
CCN was able to obtain images of him from an intelligence source in the UK, which were shot just under two years ago at an event he attended.
Questions sent to the high-ranking Government official between December 2024 and February 2025:
1. Can you indicate why you signed on as a director in a UK-based company (name called) in September 2023 and later resigned as one of two directors in July 2024?
2. Can you explain your relationship with Mr (name called) and how long you have known him?
3. What was the purpose of you becoming a director of this company, and did you profit financially in any way from the activities of this company?
4. Did you declare that you were a director of this company to the Integrity Commission in filing your declaration under the Integrity and Public Life Act?
5. Law enforcement and other sources have confirmed that Mr (name called), who has dual citizenship, is a person who is considered the major financier of the Seven Gang in Trinidad and Tobago. Are you aware of this fact? And if so, would it be wise to associate yourself with this individual who has criminal allegations hanging over his head in this country?
6. Additionally, are you aware that this company that you were part of is now dormant, and intelligence sources suggest this, along with other companies, were merely shell companies set up in the UK for allegedly illicit activities?
• Tomorrow: Watch the TV version of this story on TV6 News at 7 p.m.
