Up to midday on Tuesday, police from the Eastern Division CID were still trying to identify four men who were shot and killed during a confrontation with police in Mayaro on Monday morning.

Reports were that the bandits tried to rob a businessman at his home.

During the robbery, police were called in and killed the bandits after a shootout.

Investigators said while they could not confirm the identities of the four men, they suspected the bandits may be from Morvant. One officer said they were liaising with officers in the North Eastern Division to confirm this.

He added that it was not uncommon for criminals from outside the Eastern Division to visit the area, commit crimes and return to their own communities to avoid arrest.

He said over the years criminals from Siparia, Princes Town and Moruga have visited the area to commit robberies and warned other criminals that they would be dealt with if found in the division.

"We have a zero-tolerance approach to any criminals we find.

"While we will continue to operate within the confines of the law, we want to remind criminals, no matter where they are from, that they can be apprehended, and if they act violently, they will respond appropriately within our police use-of-force policy.

"So we are prepared to meet force with force."

One North Eastern Division officer said he had heard speculation the bandits were from Morvant, but was unable to confirm if this was true until fingerprint tracing was completed.

He said another option would be for relatives of the men to come forward and identify the bodies.

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