NO RANSOM PAID

TWO police constables from the Southern Division and a contractor from San Fernando were taken into police custody after police rescued 47-year-old Palmiste, San Fernando mother Natalie Pollonais yesterday evening. The policemen were at work when they were held. One suspect was intercepted by police while driving west along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway near the Courts Megastore.

Pollonais was kidnapped last week Thursday when she left the C3 Shopping Complex in San Fernando around 11.30 am, after using the gym, to visit a friend in Palmiste. When she did not show up and the friend could not reach her on her cellphone, an alarm was raised.

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith, at a news conference at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain shortly after the rescue was made public by the Police Service via Twitter, confirmed that a ransom was demanded but he said none was paid.

“Natalie Pollonais is with us,“ he said.

“She has been extracted, she’s alive and well. This was a clinical operation that took place for the last four days and nights. Mrs Pollonais was brought straight to the Police Admin Building. I spoke to her and she’s in good condition. She is unharmed and no ransom was paid.”

Griffith acknowledged, “This was kidnapping for ransom. I am not going into the specifics. We were able to pinpoint and target the area. It was immense work.”

He said a number of tactical units were involved in the search and rescue mission, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU), Organised Crime and Intelligence Unit (OCIU), Special Branch, Strategic Services Agency (SSA) and the Tactical Unit.

“The whole operation was totally intelligence driven,” he stressed. “We worked hand-in-hand. It was a co-ordinated effort (which) we never saw in a while.”

Griffith refused to divulge where Pollonais was rescued, “until we apprehend all of the individuals involved in this situation.”

But he said, “This sends a signal to all criminal elements...it is not business as usual.”

The former National Security Minister said, “We can never have a crime-free country. What we would do is continue to provide the deterrent, with the assistance of the State, for us to ensure the safety and security of this country.”

Also at the media briefing were Minister of National Security Stuart Young and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

“The Government’s position is that we will continue to support our law enforcement agencies and authorities,” Young said.

“Today we can breathe a sigh of relief. We just chalk this one up to a lot of hard work and a bit of luck.”

At the family’s home, her brother told Newsday his family wanted to thank the government, particularly Young, Griffith and all the security agencies who worked tirelessly to rescue Pollonais. He also thanked everyone who prayed and made calls to the family.

“Thank God, thank God because we are a very religious family. We said a lot of prayers.”

Earlier yesterday, Newsday attempted to interview her husband, Inland and Offshore Contractor Ltd director Jason Pollonais, but he declined to speak.

Newsday learnt that relatives got a call from Pollonais’ kidnappers on Thursday night. Sources say she was allowed to speak to her husband, but her kidnappers hung up the phone when relatives began asking about her release. Around 10.30pm on Thursday, police found Pollonais’ BMW abandoned in the road at Cypress Hills, Union Hall.

(with additional reporting by Nalinee Seelal and Anil Rampersad)