Search in Balandra forest for man feared murdered

Matura police, along with colleagues from the Eastern Division Task Force, spent close to eight hours on Thursday combing eight miles of forest between Balandra and Matura for the remains of a Penal man.

Led by Sgt Greio and accompanied by cadaver dogs, they began their trek through the forest from about 8 am, but found nothing. The cadaver dogs did not pick up any clues which could have led to the remains of 53-year-old Raffick Mohammed. The search was carried out on the instructions of the inspector in charge of crime in the Eastern Division, Ken Lutchman.

Last Sunday, Mohammed’s severed hand of was discovered floating at the Matura beach by a passer-by. The following day a severed right foot was found on the same beach. Police fingerprint specialists went to the Forensic Science Centre on Tuesday and took prints from the fingers of the severed hand, which led to a positive match being found in their database. Mohammed had been charged with trafficking in marijuana by the Matura police, so his prints were in the fingerprint database.

Police tried to reach Mohammed’s family at Clark Road, Penal but they were told his only known relatives were dead, and no one had made a missing persons report about Mohammed at the Penal police station. Police believe Mohammed, who was suspected of being involved in selling drugs, may have been murdered. They believe he was decapitated and some of his body parts thrown into the sea.

Eastern Division police said yesterday they will continue to search and are calling on members of the public with any information to contact the Matura police station or the Sangre Grande CID.

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"Search in Balandra forest for man feared murdered"

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