Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander was last night expected to sign three preventive detention orders (PDOs) that would allow police to detain businessman Dominic Hadeed; his wife, Genevierve Hadeed; and their relative 69-year-old Westmoorings businesswo­man Star Sabga, under the Emergency Powers Regulations issued during the state of emergency (SoE).Sources told the Express that if the orders are execu­ted, the two women are to be housed at the Women’s Pri­son, Golden Grove, Arouca, while Hadeed would be held at the Eastern Correctional Re­­habilitation Centre, Santa Rosa.The Express was informed that the proposed detention orders relate to national security issues. The specific allegations are expected to be outlined in the PDOs.Police are expected to continue their investigations and present evidence to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).Hadeed and his wife were detained by police on Wednesday morning following searches at the couple’s residence in West Trinidad and at Hadeed’s business premises in Trincity. Hadeed is the owner of Blue Waters Products Ltd.Several electronic devi­ces, including laptops and cellphones, were seized during the searches.On Wednesday, the Trini­dad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) stated that arising out of an ongoing investigation, officers executed search warrants lawfully issued by the Supreme Court of Judicature at locations in Westmoorings and Trincity, and that “two individuals were detained and are currently assisting investigators with enquiries”.The TTPS cautioned that “no conclusions should be drawn regarding the status of any individual until investigations are completed and any evidence is properly assessed in accordance with due process”.On Thursday, police expanded their investigations and detained Sabga.The Express was informed by sources that external legal advice was obtained for the TTPS with respect to the use of PDOs, which supports the use of the mechanism to detain persons under the SoE, from King’s Counsel Richard Thomas.Key features of PDOsA PDO is a legal order that allows the State to detain a person without first charging them with a criminal offence during an SoE if authorities believe the detention is necessary to prevent activities that could threaten public safety, public order or national security.Under the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2026, the minister responsible for national security may issue a PDO where there is intelli­gence or information sugges­ting that a person’s detention is necessary to prevent serious criminal activity or threats to public order.Key features of a PDO include:• A person may be detained without being formally charged with a criminal offence.• The detention is inten­ded to prevent anticipated harmful activities rather than punish past conduct.• The detainee must be informed that he or she is being held under a preventive detention order.• The detainee has the right to consult an attorney and to challenge the detention through legal proceedings, including habeas corpus.The 2026 state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago was declared on March 3, 2026, by President Christine Kangaloo, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.The proclamation took effect immediately and, under the Constitution, was initially valid for 15 days.The SoE was subsequently extended for three months after the House of Represen­tatives approved the motion on March 13, 2026, by a vote of 26-12.The extension was later formalised through legal notices and remained in force until midnight on June 17, 2026.A further three-month extension was approved on June 11, 2026, allowing the SoE to continue beyond June 17 and into September 2026.Natalie Harford detainedAnother member of the prominent Harford family, Natalie Harford, has been detained under a PDO since April this year and is said to be currently hospitalised.According to Legal Notice No 185, published under the Emergency Powers Re­gulations, 2026, Alexander signed the detention order on April 4, 2026.Harford, the daughter of late Mario’s Pizza founder Richard Harford, was ordered to be detained at the Women’s Prison, Arouca.The PDO alleged that she financed the activities of the Seven Gang and supported planned acts of violence.The detention was carried out under Regulation 14 of the Emergency Powers Regulations, which empowers the minister to order the preventive detention of a person if satisfied that such detention is necessary to prevent actions deemed prejudicial to public safety.Alexander stated in the order that he was satisfied Harford’s detention was ne­cessary, “with a view to preventing her from acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety”.The grounds for the detention were outlined in the notice.Authorities alleged that Harford had been “credibly identified” as a financier of the Seven Gang, which was described as an organised crime group.The PDO further alleged that the gang had access to a cache of high-powered firearms and ammunition and was engaged in territorial disputes with rival groups.It further alleged that Harford provided financial support to fund the gang’s operations and that the organisation intended to carry out reprisal attacks against rivals in public spaces using high-powered rifles.The detention order also alleged that Harford had issued threats directing known gang members to attack in­dividuals she considered per­sonal targets, including private citizens and police officers.Authorities said that her detention was necessary to disrupt the alleged planned acts of violence and prevent the destabilisation of public order.A PDO is not a criminal conviction and does not require that criminal charges be laid. Rather, it permits au­thorities, under emergency legislation, to detain individuals deemed to pose a threat to public safety based on intelligence and security assessments.As of last night, the Hadeeds, Sabga and Harford had not been charged with any criminal offence arising out of the allegations, which are under investigation.