A BLUNDER by the police caused a 40-year-old drug trafficker to drink a lethal dose of poison in a room at the Sangre Grande Police Station on Thursday.

But officers could not save him as he died while on the way to the Sangre Grande Hospital.

Police were called out following a fight between two men at a bar along the Eastern Main Road, Sangre Grande around midday.

On their arrival, Leon Antoine of North Eastern Settlement, Sangre Grande was arrested and taken to the Sangre Grande Police Station.

He was placed in a room next to the charge room while a charge of assault was being prepared against him.

While in the room, Antoine reportedly took out a small bottle from his pocket and drank the contents.

Another prisoner, who was in the room, called out to the police but they failed to save Antoine as he had began frothing and died before reaching the hospital.

A police source said that it would appear that the officers who held Antoine did not follow a normal procedure of searching the suspect when he was arrested.

Senior officers have launched an investigation into this serious lapse by the arresting officers.

The prisoner reportedly told police that Antoine said he was infected with Aids and he was fed up with life. Police had charged Antoine with trafficking in cocaine about three months ago and he was on bail.

A police officer told TnT Mirror it would appear that Antoine was prepared to commit suicide since he was walking around with the poison in his pocket. Antoine had a number of women in Sangre Grande, whom he had sex with, running scared for their lives since they learnt he was infected with the deadly AIDS virus.