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When the grenade exploded on Caesar Ridge Road on Monday morning – no one was hurt – but police were seriously hindered in their investigation by the fact that they could not recover the fly-off lever. This is the part of the grenade that when released by the persons holding the grenade activates the detonation sequence. More importantly, it has all the information about the grenade – and can tie it down to a batch number.

So it’s a critical piece of evidence. Well the news tonight is that it has been recovered and is in the hands of police. But it wasn’t found by a Police Scenes of Crime Team – it was recovered by someone from the area who turned it into police for a cash reward. That, observers point out, can put a serious taint on the lever as a piece of evidence. But right now – two grenade attacks in two weeks – police can’t be fussy, they need information more than they do evidence, and the fly-off lever tells an entire story. We got the details from the Commissioner and the BDF bomb expert this evening.

Crispin Jeffries, Commissioner of Police
“On the day of the blast we visited the area and just about the time when we were going leave the area, I spoke to persons in the area and I offered them some financial reward if they assisted us. This morning I was called to say that the lever was found. I visited the area, it was handed to me, I spoke with Lt. Col. Jones who confirmed some information to me. I later presented that lever to him and he is indicating that that is in fact a lever consistent with the type grenade used.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Are you able to say from whom the lever was recovered?”

Crispin Jeffries,
“The lever was recovered from Andre Trapp who retrieved it from another person when I was in his yard.”

Lt. Col. David Jones, BDF Bomb Expert
“Having looked at the fly-off lever that was recovered, I personally concluded that yes, that is the lever that was used in the incident where the grenade was thrown on Caesar Ridge Road.”

Jules Vasquez,
“And what conclusions can you make about the type of grenade?”

Lt. Col. David Jones,
“It is definitely one of the L109a1 British type grenade that was used in the previous incidents at the Comptroller of Customs and also at the Kraal Road area.

It was evident that what I suspected earlier, that it seems to be true that after the grenade blast had gone off, someone passed in the area, picked it up, and took it from the scene. It was mischievous, it is of no use to them. The lever for myself or for the police only confirms what type of grenade actually was used in the incident.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Are you convinced, as is Lt. Col. Jones, that indeed that is the lever for the grenade thrown? The interval between the blast and the recovery creating some uncertainty it appears.”

Crispin Jeffries,
“That is almost asking me to say yes I have not concluded. I can conclude and say yes that definitely that is it but it can in fact be the lever.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Does this have any investigative or fact finding value other than it is a lever for British L109a1 grenade? Might it indicate to you from which gang or which set or which personalities are associated with such grenades?”

Crispin Jeffries,
“Again the question is in two parts. We can in fact confirm that the lever from the type of grenade the British had in Belize. Whether it is gang related or that part of the question I would not be able to answer.”

Jeffries told the media he paid three-hundred dollars for the lever. Some doubter sources have suggested to us that British type fly-off levers can be had from persons in the military who use grenades in live training. Jeffries made those comments at a three and a half hour off camera meeting with the media where he discussed crime statistics – which show that for 2009 crime is down. If you’re shaking your head at those figures, so was Jules Vasquez and he’ll put the tough questions to the COMPOL later on in the news.