TT kidnappings linked to ‘stolen car racket’ and drugs

Members of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad said many kidnappings in TT are linked to a thriving stolen car racket run by experienced car thieves across the country and to the widespread incidence of drugs suspected. The fact that kidnappers get bail makes the problem worse. These were the sentiments of senior members of the AKS, headed by Senior Superintendent Gilbert Reyes, Acting Superinten-dent Henry Millington and Inspector Adam Joseph, in an exclusive interview with Sunday Newsday at police headquarters, Port-of-Spain recently. Millington refused the figure of approximately 177 kidnappings for the year, saying many were false kidnap reports. He said there have only been about 39 ‘actual kidnappings for ransoms’ which were passed on to the kidnappers. “We deal with all types of kidnappings but we deal more exclusively with kidnappings for ransom,” said Millington.

Asked how the AKS was coping, Reyes said: “Extremely well!” He said police had solved over 50 percent last year when there were about 29 kidnappings for ransom, out of which 15 were solved. “Added to that,” said Millington,“we have solved several kidnappings but people don’t want to make statements and go to Court.” He pointed out a case in which the AKS team recovered the majority of money, but the family did not want to press charges. They agreed with Prime Minister Patrick Manning about the need for a strong witness protection programme, admitting that people are often afraid to come forward with information to help capture the kidnappers. They stayed clear from making statements about a public perception that the AKS does not have enough resources to deal with situation. As for rumours that the kidnappings were linked to the Dole Chadee dynasty, money laundering and ransoms demanded as pay-back, Reyes said: “We have no evidence of that. It is possible, but we have no evidence, so we can’t say so.”

He added: “What we do have evidence of, is that at least 45 percent of the 39 kidnappings are drug-related when  deals went sour and someone failed to pay what they were supposed to pay and as a result, the victim, most times another relative is kidnapped in order to pay the money owed.” “And in some cases they pay both money and drugs to kidnappers,” said Reyes. The AKS team believes there really are innocent kidnapped victims who are not involved in any illegal activities. “That is the kind of kidnapping I am very concerned about,” he said. Millington pointed out that in cases where there were kidnappings of innocent business people, most often it was because of people who were close to them and who have been giving out information about the family. However, some of the kidnappers foul up when they hold the wrong hostage. “So when they realise they hold the wrong person, they end up letting them go,” said Millington. And who are the notorious kidnappers? “A lot of these kidnappers would have been former car stealers since to do a kidnapping, you need a car. So a lot of them would have graduated from car stealing to kidnapping,” he disclosed.

He pointed out that that explains why in most cases, after a kidnapping incident, police find a car with changed number plates or stolen vehicles. Millington said, however, that at least 50 percent of the profits are taken back to the ‘boss’ who is behind the racket. He admitted that there are rogue police officers who are part of the kidnapping scenario but said just like in any profession there will be the bad lot. He said he has already charged about three police officers who were involved in kidnappings — one was a Special Reserved police officer (SRP) and another was charged in relation to the kidnapping of Yves Ayoung Chee of St Clair. Defending themselves against reports that the police know who are behind the kidnappings but are not doing anything about it, he said: “If we knew all who were behind the kidnappings we would have held everybody already.” They lamented however, that some of the ‘big players’ of the kidnappings were out on bail. The AKS said the only way to really clamp down on the problem is if they get help from everyone.