- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Aujourd'hui 06:14

Relatives: Kidnap survivor ‘alright,’ resting at home

Relatives of Satie Karim, a 44-year-old woman who was kidnapped on July 13, say she is now resting comfortably at home after a daring rescue by police on July 21. “She’s all right,” said a relative from the safety of their well-burglar-proofed, two-storey house, which was surrounded by cameras. When Newsday asked, they said she wasn’t able to come outside at the time but assured that she was resting and recovering from the week-long ordeal she experienced at the hands of kidnappers. At about 9.50 pm on July 13, a relative of Karim was driving a white Toyota Hilux, with her and her son as passengers, along Bassie Street, Spring Village, Valsayn. A blue car pulled in front of them and gunmen jumped out. The men forced their way into the Hilux and snatched Karim, then bundled her into their car while one of the kidnappers hopped into the Hilux and robbed Karim's relatives of $500 and an iPhone. The two vehicles then drove off with one kidnapper driving the Hilux and the other driving the car with Karim. The two other victims were eventually dropped off and the kidnappers drove away with the van. Police found the van abandoned on Sunset Drive, Arouca on July 14. Police told reporters that an exorbitant ransom was demanded, but none was paid. They also showed evidence to relatives that she was still alive while negotiating for ransom money. But police said the state of emergency (SoE) called by the government on July 18 to thwart a joint effort by once rival gangs to terrorise the nation with kidnappings, robberies and murders had the desired effect as the abductors were unable to communicate with their bosses who operated behind prison walls. Police exercises staged to rescue Karim and hold the people responsible for her kidnapping ended with two suspects dead and two others in police custody. Intelligence received by police led them to a house in the northeastern, coastal village of Rampanalgas on July 21, where they found the kidnappers holding Karim. Officers from several specialised units including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, several intelligence agencies and led by Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro descended on the house in a brief but explosive police exercise which started at about 6 pm. Police told Newsday that one of the kidnappers used Karim as a human shield, but a marksman took him out before he could do her any harm. Two other suspects, a man and a woman, were captured and taken into custody for questioning. Later that night at about 10.30 pm, police went to the home of another suspect, this time at Old Piarco Road. Police said officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force and Guard and Emergency Branch went to the man’s home and announced their presence but the suspect confronted the officers, opening fire on them. Officers returned fire, fatally shooting the suspect. Police recovered a Glock 19 pistol and a quantity of ammunition at the scene. The post Relatives: Kidnap survivor ‘alright,’ resting at home appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.