Quick work

While Zhang was himself not employed as a diplomat, the scene of his abduction is worrying. According to police reports, he was snatched while walking to work along Haig Street, St Clair, shortly after 7 am. St Clair is an area with many diplomatic facilities and key residences.

Though he was rescued four hours later and the driver of a car apprehended, the fact that a kidnapping took place in what has been assumed to be a highly secure area represents a new kind of brazenness.

It is for investigators to analyse recent incidents of kidnapping to identify certain trends, but it is clear enough that criminals are taking bolder risks. In the process their danger to the public increases.

While things could have ended up far worse, and an internationally embarrassing situation has been avoided, this incident is still disturbing since it adds to a wave of criminal violence being directed at Chinese nationals.

For this year, three Chinese nationals — all involved in business — have been murdered.

The kidnapping also comes close on the heels of the kidnapping of Puff n’ Stuff bakery owner Gregory Laing, who was released unharmed after a ransom was paid.

That incident resurrected fears that a resurgence in kidnapping for ransom was upon us. We are thankful the police convened a special briefing to deal with Thursday’s incident and to reassure the public that there is no cause for alarm.

Officers of the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit, the Anti- Kidnapping Unit, the Cyber Crimes Unit and the Port of Spain CID led by Deputy Police Commissioner Harold Phillip and including ACP Irwin Hackshaw, Ag ACP Radcliff Boxill, Ag Supt Ajith Persad and others must also be praised for how they swung into action.

While this incident was swiftly contained, it is equally important that deeper underlying causes be identified and tackled.

People responsible should also be charged, not just the people at the lower end of the chain of criminal enterprise.

It remains to be seen whether there will be diplomatic reverberations.

China has certainly in the past expressed concern over the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago and the impact on its nationals.

But of course crime affects us all, whether diplomats, foreigners or citizens. Which is why there must be concern even if the number of kidnappings is down, as figures given by Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon indicate.

According to him there were three in 2015, three in 2016.

This year there have been two.

Overall, we take the opportunity to also commend the efforts being made to implement the DNA Act.

The retention of a DNA custodian at long last is a major step forward and will have a major impact on the overall crime situation since there are indicators which suggest a large proportion of the criminal enterprise is attributable to repeat offenders.

We hope the quick work done on Thursday is a sign of an overall renaissance within the State’s crime-fighting apparatus.