Eleven Arrested Following Rescue Of Kidnapped Businesswoman Tara Poliah
A multi-agency operation at sea on Wednesday night ended with the safe rescue of a 73-year-old kidnap victim and the arrest of eleven suspects, after police foiled an apparent plan to smuggle the woman out of Trinidad and Tobago.
The kidnapping took place just after 7pm on Wednesday evening as 73-year-old Tara Poliah was inside the garage of her San Juan home. Four men approached her, forcing her into a waiting vehicle and speeding off.
By midnight, police said the kidnappers placed the victim aboard a vessel, attempting to take her out of the country to nearby Venezuela.
But Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro said, acting on radar intelligence, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard intercepted the boat approximately one nautical mile off the North Coast, ending the escape attempt.
“Around midnight, the kidnappers placed the victim aboard a vessel in an attempt to take her to Venezuela, but this vessel was intercepted by members of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard. Seven suspects – six Venezuelan nationals and one Trinidadian – were arrested, and Miss Poliah was rescued safely and is in good health. The TTPS understands the concern that incidents of this nature create, and I want to reassure the national community that your Police Service is vigilant, coordinated, and fully capable of responding to serious threats.”
The Police Service later confirmed that on board the vessel were six male Venezuelan nationals and two male T&T nationals.
The T&T Defence Force, in a separate media release, confirmed that an additional two suspects jumped overboard during the pursuit in an effort to evade capture and were recovered later on Thursday morning by a fisherman, then transferred to the Coast Guard, which then handed them over to police.
In total, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service said eleven suspects are now in custody – the eight from the vessel, and two males and one female suspects who were held at Tyrico Bay.
Commissioner Guevarro confirmed that Ms. Poliah was unharmed and reported to be in good health.
He also praised the multi-agency operation.
“I want to reassure you that our Intelligence and Operational Units have been actively monitoring cross-border criminal activity, and I want to state that this operation represents a major breakthrough in dismantling an organised criminal network that was hell-bent on carrying out cross-border kidnappings. The speed, precision, and professionalism displayed in this rescue demonstrate that Trinidad and Tobago’s law enforcement agencies are prepared, united, and resolute in protecting our citizens.”
