CRIMINAL gangs have entered the transport business by operating fleets of PH cars, warned Supt Terrence Nowbutt of the North Central Division of the police at a media briefing on Thursday at the Police Headquarters in Port of Spain.

At least one taxi association also had those concerns, as expressed to Newsday on Thursday.

Nowbutt said criminals operate work-to-own vehicles.

"They have these people, especially young people, whom they are giving vehicles to work and they pay for it."

He said such drivers works as lookouts for the gang.

"So while they are working on the road, they are feeding back the gang information, for instance the location of the police and other information the gang may need to carry out their illegal activities."

Nowbutt said gangs also stole motor vehicles, often to commit robberies or murders.

The most targeted brands were firstly Nissan (including Tiida, AD, Almera and Wingroad), Toyota (including Aqua, Corolla, Fielder and Axio), and Honda (including Civic.)

"The public just has to be aware of these things, how they are operating. We are aware of it, and that is how we are targeting them now."

He said gangs also profited from illegal quarrying, plus the sale of illicit narcotics, arms and ammunition.

Sen Supt Brian Ramphall said many car thefts occurred in housing developments.

He said the police knew who the gangs were, their locations and their structures, and would target priority offenders by intelligence-led policing.

"We know who the major players are, and are continuing to dismantle them."

San Juan Tax Association president Christopher Lara told Newsday some PH taxis on the San Juan taxi stand at Charlotte Street near Independence Square, Port of Spain, were stolen cars with false licence plates.

"They threaten the other taxi-drivers.

"Sometimes they park on the stand and if you blow your horn and say 'You are not supposed to be here,' they threaten you and ask you if you want to die and so on.

"They are frightening legitimate taxi drivers from coming out and working late in the evening. They (legitimate taxi drivers) are frightened for their lives, so these PH cars have literally taken over the taxi stand."

Lara wanted more police at that spot to curb rampant criminality.

"There are police with PH cars out there," Lara claimed. "So they tend to drive past and ignore."

Lara said in recent years things had got worse.

"The recent shooting in New City Mall, it is one of the (legitimate) taxi drivers cars the bandit fell on, and all the blood splattered all over. Crime has taken over. It is really bad."

He said people were afraid to travel and recalled an armed youth robbing a woman in daytime near the stand, one Saturday.

"The police are very aware of this history but do not increase their presence there. When you call for the police they are saying no they have no police vehicles in the area. It is really horrible."

Lara claimed taxi-drivers had been robbed of their cars at gunpoint near the stand.

"The police are very aware