Relatives of murdered airport taxi driver: Crime is sickening

A relative of murdered taxi driver Hesston Khelawan says he planned to migrate to another country by the end of the year because of the "ridiculous" crime situation.

Khelawan, 34, a member of the Piarco airport taxi association, was found dead on Bejucal Road, Cunupia, on August 4.

Speaking to the media at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on August 5, a female relative who did not want to be named said Khelawan was last known to be taking a passenger to the Brix Hotel, St Ann's, around 9 pm on August 3.

She said his wife communicated with him at around 10 pm, but all further attempts to contact Khelawan went unanswered.

"The next day when we couldn't find him we went to all the stations from Arima to St Joseph."

She said all the stations they checked had no information on him.

"We went to Cunupia station, where we were told they found a body in Bejucal Road, and he was dead."

She said police still had not recovered Khelawan's vehicle – a white Nissan Serena (a seven-seater).

"He worked as a taxi driver for two years and never had any issues with the law or nothing."

She said "it is not right" that it has become unsafe to do one's day-to-day job.

"You come out to do a service, and your life is at stake."

The relative described Khelawan as a very nice person who was always joyful.

She expressed her frustration at the crime situation, which she said had become unbearable.

"It is the most sickening thing I have ever seen in my life. It is the worst of the worst. There's nothing that can describe this crime situation."

She said the police needed to step up and do what it took to reduce crime.

"The situation is getting too too bad."

Another female relative said the taxi association has been very supportive.

"They've been bringing information to me now that I did not know."

She described Khelawan as the best type of person one could know.

"He always had a smile on his face, quiet, nice."

She was frustrated that Khelawan was killed while doing his job.

"It's work he went to work. It's not to say he was drinking and liming or looking for problems. So you can't have nothing in this life?"

When asked if anything could be done about the crime situation, she responded, "The government have to answer that, not me."

The autopsy revealed Khelawan died of a single gunshot wound to the head.