Mystery murder of Freeport man

A 27-year-old Trinidadian who travelled to Venezuela on Wednesday, February 16, is believed to have been abducted at Caracas Airport and murdered. Mahendra Basdeosingh’s mutilated  body was found by police in a remote area of Caracas, and unconfirmed reports said organs were removed from his body, allegedly for sale.  The killing is one of a number of gruesome  murders that Caracas police have been probing for some time. Mahendra, a project manager of Mission Road, Freeport was pursuing a degree in management in Venezuela and was preparing to write his final examination later this year.  Previously he had worked at an oil installation in Aruba where his elder brother is still employed.

The family yesterday refused to give the name of the brother who works in Aruba, but it was this brother who became concerned when he did not hear from Mahendra on Thursday, Friday and on Saturday last week. He called the school in Caracas where Mahendra was due to continue his studies and was told that he had not arrived. He called the hotel where he was booked to stay and found that he had not checked in.  He immediately left Aruba for Caracas where he made a missing person report to the police.  The Caracas police told him there was an unidentified body in the mortuary and asked him to check. Accompanied by the Caracas police, the brother went to the mortuary where he identified Mahendra’s body. 

The circumstances surrounding the murder remain a mystery and the family in Freeport was awaiting the arrival of their elder son from Caracas with the body last night. Mahendra’s uncle Herbert Soondarsingh told Newsday.  “We are not saying anything right now.  The family is still trying to gather all the facts surrounding my nephew’s murder.” Soondarsisngh went to Caracas last Saturday after hearing of the death. He told Newsday Mahendra arrived in Caracas on February 16, and boarded a taxi at the airport to go to his hotel.  It is believed he was abducted and killed. Mahendra’s body was dumped in a remote part of Caracas, and unconfirmed reports state several organs were missing from his body. Mehendra lived with his mother, brothers and sister at Mission Road.