Second suspect in kidnap case fatally shot

Jankie Satie Karim. -

A second suspect in the kidnapping of 44-year-old Jankie Satie Karim was fatally shot by police hours after she was rescued on the night of July 21.

Via WhatsApp to Newsday, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro confirmed the update, and the police later issued a media release on July 22.

Around 6.30 pm on July 21, the police successfully rescued Karim from a house at Toco Main Road in Rampanalgas.

There, a male suspect, a hostage taker, was fatally wounded by cops.

A female suspect, identified as securing the hostage, was detained and is in police custody.

The operations continued, and around 10.30 pm on July 21, a team of officers from the Inter Agency Task Force and the Guard and Emergency Branch went to Old Piarco Road.

On arrival at the home of another suspect, the officers announced their presence, and the suspect, who allegedly had a gun, confronted the officers.

In keeping with the police’s use of force policy, the officers shot the suspect.

The officers recovered and seized a Glock 19 pistol with ammunition at the scene.

“My officers and I continued to work throughout the night in an effort to curtail the identified threat to national security posed by these individuals who have forged themselves into this criminal syndicate,” Guevarro said.

“At this point in time, the leaders of their group remain imprisoned at a secure location where their communication is stymied.”

He added that while the police are working hard to keep the prisoners removed from the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca securely locked away, others outside the prison are trying just as hard to get them out so they can continue to terrorise the country.

Karim was kidnapped at gunpoint on July 13, at Bassie Street in Spring Village, Valsayn.

In a previous release on July 21, on the rescue, Guevarro highlighted the effectiveness of the state of emergency, saying officers are dismantling criminal networks.

The release said the rescue was a co-ordinated tactical operation led by the Multi-Option Police Section (MOPS), Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) and Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

The statement quotes the top cop as saying, “When I called for the state of emergency, I warned that these criminal syndicates were using kidnappings and other crimes to fuel terror.”

“With their leadership removed from their comfort zone and effectively cut off from directing their members, our operations continue with precision and resolve. We are not only dismantling their network, but we are also disrupting their entire business model.”

Acting on verified intelligence connected to the kidnapping, the police teams swiftly executed the mission under the command of the top cop, ACP Richard Smith, Snr Supt Winston Maharaj and Supt Anderson Pariman.

Karim was rescued without injury, taken for medical care, and was reunited with her family.

There were no reports of police injuries.

Guevarro reaffirmed the police’s commitment to dismantling organised criminal networks that have resorted to kidnappings as a revenue stream for acquiring weapons and threatening national security.

“Jail is jail, and while we defend citizens, we will not entertain attempts to return those persons removed from the Maximum Security Prison to a place where they were able to order assassinations, robberies, kidnappings, extortion and home invasions,” he said.

Guevarro commended what he called the bravery and professionalism displayed by all the units involved, saying their unwavering dedication remains pivotal to protecting the country.

He also sent a further warning to the criminals.

“To those still hell-bent on undermining our society, I urge you to put down your weapons and become law-abiding citizens. And let this be clear, hostile action against my officers will be met with lawful force,” he said.

The statement said the police remain resolute in their mission to protect and serve with courage, accountability, and the highest standards of excellence.