No further word from kidnappers

Officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad yesterday described the current upsurge in kidnappings as frightening, and they believe that the acts are being carrried out by a group of people involved in organised crime. They have received information that the perpetrators of the kidnappings are now targetting the families of the business community and those who they perceive to have large sums of cash. Sources also revealed that the group involved in the kidnappings are in need of cash. Members of the business community were advised to put security arrangements in place to avoid being kidnapped.

Police believe that the same persons who snatched Harripersad may be the same persons who attempted to kidnap the wife of a hardware owner recently. That kidnapping was foiled when the son of the victim fired shots at the kidnappers who fled the scene. Yesterday, relatives of kidnap victim Nadie Harripersad kept an all night vigil on Wednesday, hoping to hear from kidnappers. Shastri Harripersad, the father of the kidnap victim, told Newsday that he was hoping to hear from the kidnappers, but they failed to call. On Wednesday, Nadie was kidnapped while on her way to school.

Her father received a call on his cellphone. A male voice said: “We kidnap your daughter.” A $2 million ransom was demanded. Shastri was comforted by friends and relatives at his Central home yesterday. He said that he is not in a position to pay a $2 million ransom and pleaded with the persons keeping his daughter against her will not to harm her in any way. He pleaded with them to release Nadine. Officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad told Newsday they are following certain leads in the kidnapping and are hoping to make a breakthrough shortly. They added that the investigation was now at a sensitive stage and information could not be divulged.