No new leads on kidnapped men

ANTI-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) police officers spent most of yesterday following several leads into the kidnappings of a Toco farmer and a San Fernando man, who were snatched from their homes between Sunday night and early Monday morning.

Up to late yesterday, police had no new leads nor did they know the whereabouts of kidnap victims - Saran “Billy” Kissoondath, owner of Auto House Limited, who lives in Tarouba and Toco gardener Renwick “Blair” Locario, 42. Locario was snatched from his home early Monday morning, by four heavily armed men clad in Army-type camouflage clothing, who bundled him into his own pick-up and sped off. The pick-up was found abandoned hours later, but there has been no sign of Locario. Sources close to the family of kidnap victim Saran Kissoondath, said yesterday that the one million ransom demand has been lowered to $200,000.  Police reports said that around 7.30 pm, the victim was alighting from his car, a white Nissan Wingroad, when a gold Nissan Sentra pulled alongside and a man masked in a bandana pointed a gun at Kissoondath’s head. A shot was fired into the air and the assailant dragged the victim into the Sentra and sped off. 

According to the relative, on Monday night the family was contacted by telephone and informed of the reduction in the ransom. Kissoondath, 35, also known as “Billy”, was abducted on Sunday night at the gate of his house at Reserve Road, Palmyra, by a gang of men.  Kissoondath is the owner of Auto House, a foreign used car business, which he runs in the yard of his premises.  Police said the incident happened in full view of Kissondath’s’s wife, Estella, and their two young children Vedhan, eight, and Shastri, 10, who were seated in the vehicle with Kissoondath. Almost five hours later, the family received a telephone call from someone who threatened to kill the businessman if the million dollars ransom was not paid.  When Newsday visited the family’s home yesterday, three workers at the car dealership stood guard at the gates and said family members were not speaking to the media. The business remained closed for the second day since the kidnapping.