Police rescue kidnap victim

POLICE foiled a possible kidnapping and murder of a Petit Bourg Estate Constable when they intercepted a stolen car at the Chaguanas/Curepe taxi stand yesterday morning. According to reports,  officers of the St Joseph police and the North Division task force were on patrol near Curepe junction around 12.10 am yesterday, when they noticed a silver Almera  that was reported stolen earlier in the San Juan area. The officers intercepted the car as it tried to drive away and held the two teenaged occupants aged 16 and 18 years from El Socorro. While interviewing the teens they heard a banging in the trunk and found the estate constable, 51, locked in the trunk. The men were arrested and handed over to the San Juan police. A gun was also seized. Investigations revealed that around 9 pm the night before, the estate constable had pulled into the Royal Bank car park at Eastern Main Road in San Juan. As he was getting out of the car, he was pushed back inside by a  man who was soon joined by two others.

They drove to an undisclosed area where one man got out, The estate constable was bundled into the trunk and driven around for hours. The two teens, suspected of similar crimes over a period of time, are to appear on several identification parades over the weekend. They will appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate on Monday. PC Hosein of the San Juan Police Station is investigating. Only minutes before, another team of St Joseph officers led by Cpl Selwyn Hobbs were on patrol near Curepe Junction  when they observed a man acting suspiciously. On seeing the police he ran and they gave chase. A 32-year-old man of Temple Street was held and when searched police, found a 16-gauge shotgun and one cartridge. He was arrested and charged with possession of arms and ammunition and will appear before a Tunapuna magistrate tomorrow.Cpl Hobbs laid the charge.