Businessman kidnapped

ST CLAIR businessman John Chay was kidnapped by three masked gunmen who forced him off the road, causing him to lose control of his car and crash into a wall at Serpentine Road, St Clair, on Tuesday night. The gunmen then ordered him into a car. The kidnapping was witnessed by a security guard who gave a statement to the police. The guard, who was walking in the area where the kidnapping took place, was unable to give a description of the car or the kidnappers because of poor lighting and the heavy tint in the vehicle used by the kidnappers. Reports revealed that around 11.45 pm on Tuesday, Chay, 42, was driving his car PAZ 329 along Serpentine Road, St Clair, when he was forced off the road. He crashed into a wall and was then ordered into the front passenger seat of the car occupied by three men.

The guard who witnessed the kidnapping carried out a check of the vehicle and discovered the engine in the vehicle still running. He alerted the St Clair police and a party of officers went to the scene where they conducted investigations. Relatives of Chay were contacted and they went to the scene where they identified the vehicle. A check was carried out at all medical institutions but Chay was not found. The car was towed to the St Clair Police Station where it was dusted for fingerprints. When Newsday visited the Elizabeth Street home of Chay, a female relative said that she was in no position to say anything about the incident. Up until yesterday, no ransom was demanded from relatives. A man stood guard at the gate and shouted out that relatives of Chay wanted no pictures taken of the house. The gate was then shut. Senior officers said yesterday they are treating the matter as a kidnapping. Chay is the owner of Fantiners Limited in Diego Martin. Relatives of the kidnap victim gathered at his home yesterday to lend support to Chay’s mother. On Friday, Acting Police Commissioner Everald Snaggs said that there were 42 kidnappings for ransom for the year so far. Thirteen of those kidnappings were solved with a detection rate of 30 percent.