Icacos family robbed of ransom $

THERE are reports that relatives of three kidnapped fishermen being robbed of US$10,000 which was supposed to be the ransom payment when they went this morning to the Venezuelan mainland.

Cedros police confirmed that the report is being investigated by Sgt Ramsaran. "A report was made by a family member of a robbery on that issue you are asking about. The report is still being investigated," a police officer at the station told Newsday.

Fishermen Ramkissoon Harricharan, 64; Keith Carlo Sneider, 61, and an unidentified Venezuelan national, were kidnapped by Venezuelan pirates at gunpoint early yesterday morning. Cedros police in confirming the incident, said that a family member was contacted by the pirates, who are believed to be operating from Patos Island. They demanded a US$10,000 ransom.

Patos Island is one of several small islands mere meters off the Venezuelan mainland, on TT's south-western side.

Councillor for Cedros, Shankar Teelucksingh, told Newsday, "Yes, I've heard of the report of families going across to Venezuela this morning to pay the ransom and were themselves kidnapped and robbed. They returned home, but I'm yet to ascertain if they made a police report."

Icacos resident Baldath Samaroo, who declined to disclose who among the three, is his relative, told Newsday that family members went across to the mainland this morning to pay the ransom. "They were robbed, but we don't want to say much about that. These people tell we not to go to the police," Samaroo said.

Teelucksingh said that he will be monitoring the incident as it unfolds, in which he added, is a matter for the Cedros police to investigate.