Chopped, shot to death

The latest victim has been identified as Shazim Hosein, 27, of Sinanan Street, Penal.

His body was found yesterday morning in the Quinam forest about 150 metres from the roadside with half of his face missing and several chop wounds about the body, police said.

He was bareback and only had on a pair of three-quarter jeans.

The body was found yesterday morning by a team of investigators who had returned to the forest where a blood stained and damaged gold Nissan Almera car was discovered on Thursday evening.

Police said Hosein was last seen driving the car at about midday on Thursday after he left home to go to a nearby betting shop to play “Play Whe”.

At about 1 pm on Thursday, they received a report of an abandoned vehicle in a forested part of Sou Sou Lands, Quinam Road, Penal. At about 5.30 pm, police were contacted by a gardener who saw the vehicle was damaged and the windscreen was smashed. He also observed blood stains inside the vehicle. Acting on the gardener’s tip-off, the police went to the area and found the car.

At about 8.45 am yesterday, a team of officers led Sgts Granger, Douglas, Cpls Jitmansingh, Solomon, Baptiste and PC Ramlal returned to the forest to conduct a search and stumbled upon the body.

Also visiting the scene were Supts Sampath and Ramsey along with officers of the Penal Police Station and South Western Division Task Force. The district medical officer examined the body which was identified as Hosein’s by two relatives.

The body was removed to the Forensic Science Centre, St James for a post mortem yesterday. Hosein, police said, had appeared several times in the Siparia Magistrates’ Court on drug related matters and had pending cases.

At Hosein’s Sinanan Street home, relatives said his 95-year-old father, Nabbie Hosein, had not yet been told of his son’s death.

“He was very close to him,” said Shaheeda Hosein, 34, the dead man’s sister.

Shaheeda said relatives called Hosein’s cellphone when he did not return from playing “Play Whe” saying he never stayed out late. “He said he was going out the road to play “Play Whe” but we never hear from him again. We kept calling his cellphone and got no answer,” she said.

Newsday learnt that police are investigating a report that an unidentified woman who was close to Hosein received death threats via her cellphone yesterday. It is reported that someone left a threatening message on her phone at about 12.30 am.

Police are also seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the bullet-riddled body of a man found on Thursday on a gravel trace in central Trinidad.

A police report stated officers received a telephone call at the Freeport Police Station at about 9 pm, on Thursday, and went to Mahaica Road, Carapichaima, where they discovered the body.

Police described the man as being in his early 20s, of brown complexion, slim built, with a low haircut and of African descent. He is about five-feet-nine inches in height.

There was also a burnt scar on the man’s right hand, police investigators said. He was dressed in a black jersey, a pair of grey three-quarter jeans and a light blue-coloured boxer shorts pants with multi-coloured patterns on it. On his feet were a pair of red rubber slippers.

Supt Abraham, ASP Edwards, Sgt Hosein and other officers of the Freeport Police Station and Homicide Bureau (South) visited the scene.

Anyone with information can contact Homicide Bureau at 652-0495 or Freeport Police Station at 673-0200.