Barataria businessman kidnapped

A 25-year-old Barataria businessman was snatched at gunpoint by two armed men  in Tunapuna Sunday night, police sources told Newsday yesterday.

Up to late evening, however, police said no ransom demand had been made for the safe release of Ryan Singh, of Tenth Avenue. Singh, according to police, is the manager of Sun Crest International Limited, which is also located on Tenth Avenue. Sun Crest, one of several subsidiaries of Imrith House, is a supplier of pharmaceutical goods to several drugstores, including Tenth Avenue Drugs, whose owner, John Sam Chee, survived a kidnapping attempt by three would-be kidnappers on September 9. In that incident, Sam Chee fired 11 shots and his 31-year-old son, Sean, was later shot and spent several days at the Intensive Care Unit of the Mount Hope Medical Sciences complex. In the Singh kidnapping, police sources said around 10.30 pm Sunday, the young man went to drop off his girlfriend at her Lashley Street, Tunapuna, home. While there, police said two armed men came out of a B14 Nissan Sentra vehicle and bundled Singh into their vehicle. They then drove off.

A report was made and a party of officers from the Tunapuna and St Joseph Criminal Investigations Department (CID) including Sgt Daniel, PC Nirmal Ranjattan and WPC Toussaint visited the scene and conducted investigations. Police said the officers made a search of the area but did not locate the B14 Nissan Sentra vehicle, nor its occupants.  The Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) was also informed and are leading the investigations into the country’s latest kidnapping. At the family’s home and businessplace yesterday, a female worker said they had no comment to make to the media. They also said on several occasions that Singh’s parents were “unavailable at this time.” At the Tunapuna residence of Singh’s girlfriend, relatives there had the same response. A woman, who was identified as Singh’s girlfriend, came to the gallery area and ordered relatives not to speak to the media. She then told them that they should come indoors. Before that, however, an elderly  woman told Newsday that Singh’s girlfriend was very traumatised at the kidnapping incident.