Police rescue kidnap victim in Morvant

Cars line up outside the building where Zahir Khan, 71, was abducted the morning of December 14 on Jamurath Street, Bamboo Settlement #1. - Photo by Faith Ayoung

Police have rescued 71-year-old Zahir Khan, who was snatched from his home in Bamboo Grove, Valsayn, on December 14.

Khan, the father of a well-known cellphone distributor, was found in an abandoned shack in Caledonia on December 16, two days after he was taken. Police believe he was left behind by his captors, who fled before they could be caught.

In Bamboo Grove, residents and business people told Newsday they are being more cautious, saying none of them are safe with kidnappers running rampant.

“You must be concerned,” said a shopkeeper who owns a grocery and bar in Valsayn.

“It was really traumatising for us, because we did business together a while ago as well and we built a close relationship.

“We know him to be a person of the village. He is always helping people. Any donation or anything that you ask for, he would willingly give.”

Other residents described the crime situation as “scary.”

“Trinidad not safe again,” said one man.

Another man said while residents and employees in the Bamboo live in fear, others have security measures put in place to deter and sometimes stop criminals.

The resident called for a guard booth to be installed in the area.

"When Inshan was trying to put up the guard booth, they tore it down. The people here in the Bamboo cannot have a guard booth, but if you go to Westmoorings, they have guard booth at the entrance, one at a circular and they have a special one for a certain per cent.

“There are certain areas that we simply cannot go into.”

Last year, activist Inshan Ishmael erected a guard booth at Bamboo No 2, but it was torn down by the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation. After the demolition, Ishmael said he asked his attorney to draft a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to show the chain of events leading to the demolition.

Kidnap victim rescued, kidnappers at large

Police are on the hunt for Khan’s kidnappers after he was rescued early on the morning of December 16.

A police release said after a late-night meeting, a strategic, intelligence-based operation was co-ordinated by Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher, DCPs Suzette Martin and Junior Benjamin and ACP Richard Smith on Sunday.

The exercise was carried out by teams from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) National Operations Task Force (NOTF), North-Eastern Division (NED) Gang Unit, and Air Support Unit.

Police went to a remote, hilly area off Grenado Street, Caledonia, and searched abandoned structures.

At about 5.20 am, they heard faint cries coming from a wood and galvanize shack, where they found Khan.

He was taken to hospital for medical attention. Police did not say whether a ransom demand was made or if a ransom was paid.

They said while they have not arrested the kidnappers, officers “remain steadfast in their efforts” to capture them.

Police said they recovered an AK 47 rifle with 12 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition which they believe was abandoned after the kidnappers fled the scene.

Last month, Shashi Anand Rampersad, a stockyard owner, was kidnapped moments after he delivered a load of sand at a customer’s Chaguanas home.

Rampersad is said to still in the hands of his kidnappers.