Gunmen snatch real estate agent from bar

A REAL estate agent became the country’s 35th kidnap victim on Friday night after he was snatched from a bar in Diamond Village, San Fernando, by four masked men. Up to midday yesterday the family of Gerald Gopaul, 52, had not been contacted by the abductors. According to a police report, at about 7.45 pm on Friday, Gopaul was liming with a group of friends at Diamond Recreation Club, which is located about 300 feet away from his home. The report stated that four masked men armed with guns stormed into the business place. Two of the men reportedly grabbed Gopaul off his seat and dragged him  out of the bar.

They then shoved him into the back seat of a silver Nissan Sentra B-14 and sped off. Gopaul’s friends immediately contacted the San Fernando CID and investigators issued an all points bulletin. Roadblocks were set up along the Solomon Hochoy Highway, M2 Ring Road, South Truck Road and Papourie Road but the get away car was not spotted.

Visiting the scene was a party of officers from the San Fernando Police and Anti-Kidnapping Squad led by Snr Supt Nadir Mohammed and including Insp Russel Martin, Ag Sgt Charles and Cpl Rampersad. When Sunday Newsday visited Gopaul’s home yesterday, distraught relatives were hesitant to comment on the incident. They did, however, make an appeal to the kidnappers to release Gopaul, whom they said was a diabetic, who needed to take his medication on a daily basis. Cpl Rampersad is continuing investigations.