MINISTER of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds confirmed that 24 people arrested for various offences including under the anti-gang act, were held based on evidence garnered from videos recorded and posted on social media by a YouTuber.
Hinds called TV6 to respond to a news segment where criminologist Randy Seepersad admonished authorities after he claimed nothing was done about videos posted by Canadian YouTuber Christopher 'Chris Must List' Hughes of men brandishing guns and some admitting to being members of gangs.
Hinds said one of those videos resulted in someone being charged with sedition and other videos were analysed and used for its evidential value. He then referred to an earlier report of seven people being arrested in the north-east.
Hinds said, 'I can, based on information available to me, indicate that those, too, have arisen out of those videos.
'I'm further aware that investigations around those videos continue. In fact, the police are very confident that they have provided tremendous evidential value, and the matters are, as I said, under investigation, and matters are being chalked up on the court.'
Hinds added, 'It is not that action has not been taken by law enforcement in relation to those videos. Active pursuit of evidence from them is well under way and in fact there are matters already charged and on their way to the court.'
Prior to the minister's statement, Newsday called ASP Richard Smith in relation to reports that the videos were at the centre of investigations that resulted in the arrest of the 24 people.
However, Smith would neither confirm nor deny whether there was a connection between the arrests and the videos.
'What I can say is we held an exercise last night (Tuesday), and 24 people were arrested for various offences and investigations are ongoing. Some of the arrests might fall into the realm of the gang activity, but people were arrested on other offences such as robberies and shootings.'
He said the arrests came from a series of investigations, and could not confirm whether any of the people arrested were connected to or featured in any of Hughes's videos.
'I can't say because I only saw the videos briefly. I cannot confirm or deny whether any of the people arrested were in any of those videos at this stage.'
Hughes: Subjects knew they would be on YouTube
Contacted by Newsday, Hughes expressed surprise when asked if he was aware that people that might have featured in his YouTube videos might have been arrested for gang activity. But he said every person that was on his videos knew that he was filming their actions.
'When talking on camera they're aware,' he said. 'I always encourage people when coming on a camera to wear a mask, but it's up to them. These people decide for themselves what to do. I don't encourage anything.
'Everybody's aware of what I do. And that's why I was allowed into the community.
"It's not like I have a hidden camera under my shirt. I'm holding a camera out. And people that are seen on my videos, were w
