Bandits dressed as police terrorise Moruga family

BANDITS dressed in police and tactical gear unleashed a reign of terror on a Moruga family on Monday night, leaving them traumatised.

Moruga businessman Terrance Thomas is now thanking God for sparing his life and that of his family, after he was kidnapped by four men who identified themselves as police on the night of October 14 when they invaded his home and workplace, searching for arms and ammunition and a safe.

Thomas, 55, of St Mary's Village, Moruga, said the men assaulted and terrorised him, his wife and their four daughters for some 30 minutes, which seemed like an eternity.

Thomas said he was handcuffed, pushed, shoved, gagged, robbed by the 'officers” who placed a gun to his head and threatened to kill him because he was asking too many questions.

The hands of his terrified wife and daughters were also bound behind their backs with tie straps. They were forced to lie face down on the ground as the bandits threatened to kill him.

Thomas said he did not know if the men were real or fake police officers, but it has left him uncertain of whom to trust or turn to in times of trouble.

“Who should I trust? What should I do if people dressed like police and say they are indeed police and they have a warrant to enter my place? Should I take them at their word? No?” he said during an interview with the media on October 15 at his Moruga home.

“If I have a weapon, a cutlass, something violent might happen. If it is the real police, innocent people might get hurt.

“There has to be a way for law abiding citizens to identify the real McCoy because you can't tell who is real and who is fake.”

Of the men who attacked his family he said, “if they were not real, they real trained, because they were dressed like police, talking like police, moving like police.”

Thomas is the second businessman to be kidnapped by men wearing police gear in the last week.

Police are searching for another Cunupia businessman, Suvesh “Cooksie” Ramnarine, 33, who was snatched from a bar in the district on October 12, by five armed men who were also dressed in police tactical uniforms with the word "POLICE.”

A $3 million ransom has been demanded for Ramnarine's safe return.

Recounting the horror, Thomas who owns Top Shotters Furniture shop located at Douglas Trace, St Mary’s Village, said around 9 pm, he went to take a bath after work, and left one of the workers, Lester Placide packing up his tools.

He said when he returned to the work area, he called out to Placide but was instead confronted by armed men wearing camouflage clothing, ski masks and gloves, who said they had a search warrant to search the premises.

Thomas said he asked to see and read the warrant, and enquired about their names and badge number.

For talking too much, he was struck on his head and had a gun placed to the back of his neck. His hands were roughly pulled behind his back and placed in a pair of handcuffs, while he was searched. His wallet which had TT$1600, US$200, his ID card and drivers permit was taken.

One of the men snatched a gold chain from his neck, which he said he paid one shilling for many years ago, but is now valued around TT$20,000 and, put it in his pocket.

The men then demanded the keys to Thomas' white Toyota Hilux Revolution van and his AD Wagon.

He was bundled into the Hilux, which was driven by one of the men dressed in camouflage, while another dressed as a police, sat behind him with the gun aimed at his back. Placide was tied and placed in the trunk of a Hyundai Elantra.

Both vehicles made their way to Thomas' home a short distance away.

At the home, the assailants snatched the remote control for the gate, banged on the door and forced Thomas' family to open up, when they saw him and Placide being held at gunpoint through their CCTV camera.

The bandits then barged into the home, where they bound the hands of his wife and screaming daughters ages, 28, 20, 15 and 11, behind their backs with tie straps, and ordered them to lie on the floor.

They seized the cellphones of all family members, an I Phone 14 Pro Max along with several Samsung brands, a quantity of gold jewellery, value to be ascertained, plus a further TT$1,100.

Thomas said all the time the bandits kept demanding access to a safe which he continually denied he had, and that is when they threw him on a bed and threatened to kill him for not co-operating.

“I though I was going to die. I started praying and begging God to spare my life because I did not want to die yet.”

He said after some 30 minutes, the men left in his Hilux and with the keys to two of his other vehicles and the remote control to his gate.

His family then rushed outside of the house and started screaming for help. A neighbour who is also a police officer came to their aid, removed their bindings and called the Moruga police.

A statement was taken from Thomas, but there was no search conducted because there was only one investigator on duty.

On Tuesday morning, Thomas said he got up early and with family and friends started a search for his vehicle which was found in Lengua and the I Phone, which was recovered near Mandingo Junction.

He said he alerted the police to their find. Crime-scene investigators PC's Nandoo and Boodram visited and processed the scene but no workable prints were found as the bandits were gloved.

Meanwhile MP for the area Michelle Benjamin said she was outraged by the incident and deeply concerned about the escalating and unprecedented level of crime overtaking the country.

“When criminals can impersonate law-enforcement officers and commit heinous acts, it is a clear indication that we are losing control of our communities.

“The PNM Government’s lack of effective action and failure to equip our police force with the resources they need is placing the lives of innocent citizens at risk.

“People are fearful in their own homes, and that is simply unacceptable. I call for an urgent review of the police operations in rural areas and demand an immediate increase in police presence in Moruga/Tableland, as well as comprehensive crime-fighting strategies to protect our vulnerable citizens.

She called for the St Mary’s Police Post to be turned into an adequately staffed and resourced full police station.

Calls and messages to ASP Wayne Mystar and Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher for a response to alleged police involvement in criminal acts received no response.

Pc Burton is continuing enquiries.