Three men have been arrested in connection to two aggravated burglaries on Sunday night and early Monday morning, police said.
Alleged victims of the home invasions reported being held at gunpoint by three masked men. The incidents occurred in two different houses: one in Havers and the other in Great Mountain, according to a press release from the Police Information Office.
“This is a most unusual occurrence here in the BVI, and has left the victims feeling vulnerable and traumatised,” acting Police Commissioner David Morris said in the release.
The first alleged invasion occurred shortly before midnight on Sunday night, and the second followed shortly thereafter, at roughly 1:30 a.m. Monday morning, according to Police Information Officer Diane Drayton.
While investigating Monday morning, detectives and Customs officers executed multiple search warrants “across the island of Tortola,” the release states. In the early morning raids, three men were arrested in connection to the alleged crimes.
Mr. Morris described the burglars as “callous individuals who have used threats to steal items of little material value.”
“The victims will carry the memory of these events with them and the impact of that cannot be underestimated,” he added.
The three men are in custody, police said.
“They are currently being questioned, but we appeal to the community for more information,” Mr. Morris said. “In particular, witnesses report hearing a motor vehicle and a scooter in Great Mountain around midnight Sunday into Monday.”
Police are asking anyone with information on the burglaries, “no matter how insignificant it is,” to contact the anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-8477, or the Criminal Investigations Unit at 311.
Meanwhile, police have “stepped up” patrol routes on Tortola and are advising residents to take the usual security precautions of locking doors and windows and reporting any suspicious activity, the release states.
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