标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A shocking, senseless act of violence has cut short the life of a young Trinidadian farmer just months after he and his brother launched their new agricultural venture. On Tuesday, 34-year-old Kamal Richard Mohammed, a father of two young children, was ambushed and shot in the head while working on a cultivated plot off Manohar Trace, Rochard Road in Barrackpore, local law enforcement and eyewitnesses confirm.

According to official police accounts, the attack unfolded around midday. The unidentified gunman, riding a bicycle, approached Mohammed on the agricultural land, drew a concealed firearm, fired a single shot at the farmer, and immediately fled west along an unpaved dirt track. First responders were alerted swiftly, and Mohammed was carried to a waiting vehicle by his relatives and colleagues for emergency transport. Along Papourie Road, the Emergency Health Services ambulance took over the patient transfer and rushed him to San Fernando General Hospital. Despite rapid medical intervention, Mohammed was pronounced dead at approximately 1:20 p.m.

By Tuesday afternoon, investigators had located a key piece of evidence: a red and black mountain bike matching the gunman’s description was abandoned at the side of the road near Manohar Trace, confirming details from eyewitness accounts.

Mukesh Mahase, a long-time employee of the Mohammed family who was present at the farm alongside Kamal and his brother Rasheed during the attack, shared his harrowing recollection of the incident with reporters. Mahase said he had been kneeling and tending to pumpkin crops when he heard three gunshots ring out across the farm. Lifting his head, he spotted the masked attacker on the trail. “I said, ‘Who is you?’ The man start to ride that bike real speed,” Mahase recalled. He described the gunman as wearing a long-sleeved garment with his full face covered, riding a mountain bike matching the model police later recovered.

After the shooter fled, Mahase said Rasheed came running from the area of the farm’s pond, shouting that Kamal had been shot near the water pump. “It was blood like that. I raised his head and put it on his brother’s knee. The next brother run with a towel and they start to make calls,” Mahase said, emphasizing that the family has never been involved in conflict with anyone in the community. “We don’t trouble nobody, we don’t have nothing with nobody in the trace. Them is good soldiers. I know him as a little brother in front of me. They killed an innocent man.”

At the Mohammed family home on Wednesday, grief hung heavy over the entire household as Kamal’s elderly parents mourned their slain son. Seventy-three-year-old Sackeer Mohammed and 63-year-old Leela Mohammed told reporters their son had never mentioned receiving threats before the attack, and there had never been any prior violent incidents targeting him or his brothers.

Leela explained that the farming venture was new for her sons: just last year, an elderly local man who had long managed the parcel of land hired Kamal and his brother to clear, prepare, and cultivate the plots. The brothers had spent months working tirelessly to get the farm ready, only planting their first full crops earlier this year.

“He did not deserve that (death). He did not trouble anybody. He would go to work and he loved to exercise and eat healthy,” Leela said, her voice breaking as she spoke of Kamal’s two young children, aged four and six. “His children have been asking for him, and we do not know how to tell his children that he died.”

As of Wednesday, detectives from the Region Three Homicide Bureau of Investigations have not identified any confirmed motive for the killing, and the investigation remains ongoing.

A suspicious early-morning fire has gutted the interior of a $1.98 million residential property linked to the high-profile alleged false imprisonment and assault of a domestic worker in southern Trinidad, law enforcement and fire officials confirmed this week. The blaze broke out just after 6 a.m. Wednesday at the three-bedroom concrete home located on Deosaran Trace, San Francique in Penal, with local investigators now leaning toward arson as the cause, believing a Molotov cocktail was thrown through one of the property’s bedroom windows to ignite the fire. Neighbors were the first to spot thick smoke billowing from the residence, and they quickly alerted emergency responders, who arrived on scene within minutes to contain the spread of the flames. While firefighters successfully prevented the fire from destroying the entire structure, saving the majority of the building’s exterior and outer structure, the entire interior of the home was completely destroyed by the blaze. When local media outlet Express visited the scene Thursday morning, fire investigators and police officers were still conducting forensic examinations and collecting evidence at the damaged property. One anonymous local resident, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, described the unnaturally quiet start to the emergency, saying, “I just walked outside and saw the smoke. It was surprising because I didn’t hear any noises or anything. Other residents came out and someone called the fire station.” Teams from both the Penal Fire Station and Penal Police Station responded to the call, and as of Thursday, investigations into the cause and perpetrators of the fire remain ongoing. The damaged property is directly connected to a recent disturbing abuse case involving 42-year-old Sabita Basdeo, a Barrackpore-based mother of two who has worked as a domestic worker for the residents of the home. Basdeo has alleged that she was subjected to brutal, prolonged abuse at the hands of the property’s occupants: she claims she was beaten repeatedly, had her head slammed repeatedly against a solid wall, suffered intentional burns across her body, and was held captive against her will for an extended period. After she was able to escape or be rescued, Basdeo was immediately transported for urgent medical care to treat extensive bruising across her face and body, as well as other visible traumatic injury marks. Police took two suspects into custody last Saturday in connection with the abuse allegations: a 38-year-old woman and her 17-year-old son, who are accused of orchestrating the unlawful confinement and brutal assault. As of Thursday, both suspects remained in police custody, and investigators are preparing to submit the case file to legal authorities to formalize multiple criminal charges. Basdeo’s family, including her husband and one of her two sons, has publicly spoken about their desire for her to make a full recovery and return home to their residence on Ramlal Road, off Platinite Trace in Barrackpore, once she is cleared to leave care. Investigators have already completed a formal interview with Basdeo to document her allegations, and they are expected to receive formal legal guidance imminently on moving forward with charges against the two suspects.

One week after 7-year-old Angelica Saydee Jogie lost her life in a tragic jet ski collision at Tobago’s Pigeon Point Heritage Park, her remains were transported back to mainland Trinidad on an evening flight, accompanied by her grieving immediate family.

Angelica’s parents, Arnold and Salisha Jogie, and her older sister Angelina Sophie, touched down at Piarco International Airport alongside the child’s body. Contrary to initial expectations of an immediate return to the family’s Barrackpore residence on Cemetery Street, relatives confirmed the group traveled directly to a Penal funeral home, where Angelica’s body will be held ahead of her Saturday funeral service.

The first-grade student from San Fernando TML Primary School was swimming with her family near the popular heritage park when the out-of-control jet ski struck her two Wednesdays prior. Three family members were injured in the incident: Angelica, her father, and her uncle Darren Jogie. All three were rushed to Scarborough General Hospital for emergency care, but Angelica succumbed to her wounds shortly after arrival. A post-mortem examination confirmed her death was caused by multiple severe traumatic injuries sustained in the collision.

In the days following the tragedy, the 32-year-old jet ski operator, a resident of Tobago’s Canaan Feeder Road, was taken into police custody the day after the incident. As of this week, senior law enforcement sources told the Trinidad Express that investigators are finalizing their case file, which will soon be submitted to Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard to decide whether criminal charges will be filed against the operator. The suspect remains in detention as the inquiry concludes.

Since Angelica’s death, family members have gathered nightly at the Barrackpore home to grieve and honor the young girl. Angelica’s grandmother Radica Jogie has led daily prayer sessions and bhajan singing, with Angelica’s parents participating virtually until their return to the mainland this week. On Saturday, a funeral service will be held at the family home, followed by cremation at the Shore of Peace cremation site. Earlier this week, Oropouche East Member of Parliament Dr Roodal Moonilal visited the grieving family to light a memorial candle, offer prayers, and extend condolences. Moonilal noted that he had been deeply moved by the outpouring of community support for the Jogie family, highlighting the remarkable unity and compassion the neighborhood has shown in the face of devastating loss, and added that the family remains in the thoughts of people across the constituency and the entire nation.

Over the weekend, hundreds of community members, religious leaders and civil society organizers gathered for a public candlelight vigil to mourn Angelica, where attendees pushed for tighter safety regulations at the country’s coastal recreational areas and called on the national government to prioritize child water safety.

In the wake of her daughter’s death, Salisha Jogie has made an urgent public call for a full ban on jet ski operations in recreational swimming areas across Tobago. In an interview with the Express last week, she said, “My request is I want something to be done for those jet skis in that area in Tobago because this must always be remembered in such a way that it should never happen again, and something must be put in place for those jet skis to be removed. I don’t want them, I don’t want anyone to have to feel the pain that I am feeling right now.” She emphasized that her daughter’s senseless death must serve as a permanent wake-up call to prevent similar tragedies from striking other families.

Reginald Mac Lean, head of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association, has joined Jogie in calling for a full ban, describing unregulated jet skis as “ticking time bombs” that pose an unacceptable threat to beachgoers. “They are ticking time bombs and they need to be gotten rid of; too many people around have been severely damaged and others have been killed. If these individuals are not willing to keep these jet skis out of the areas where they are not supposed to go, they should be banned completely from Trinidad and Tobago,” Mac Lean told reporters. He added that there are a wide range of alternative, far safer water activities that tourists and locals can enjoy without putting lives at risk.

Extortion has long evolved far beyond the brute-force shakedowns of small business owners that dominate public perception, according to a senior Trinidadian law enforcement official, who detailed increasingly sophisticated, exploitative criminal schemes preying on shame, fear and secrecy. The comments came hours after officers from the country’s Anti-Extortion Unit (AEU) took two suspects into custody at their separate residences in Caparo early yesterday, marking the latest progress in an ongoing crackdown on the pervasive crime.

Acting between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., a tactical AEU team led by Acting Commissioner of Police Richard Smith, and including Corporals Baksh and Rampersad, executed targeted raids at two addresses: one on Hall Street, just off Todds Road, and a second property directly on Todds Road. The two arrestees, aged 32 and 38, were transported to AEU headquarters in Chaguanas, where they remained in custody for questioning as of last night.

In an exclusive interview with the Express following the arrests, the unnamed senior AEU officer laid out one of the most common predatory new tactics: catfishing extortion via the popular LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr. He explained that perpetrators lure unsuspecting users into prearranged casual intimate encounters, secretly record the meeting, then demand cash payment to prevent the explicit footage from being shared publicly on social media. What makes this scheme so pernicious, the officer added, is that most victims are too afraid of social embarrassment to come forward and report the crime, even when the extortionists demand high-value payments. Multiple victims have already surrendered their vehicles to satisfy the extortionists’ demands, he confirmed.

Beyond the dating app scam, the officer outlined a second elaborate con that targets vulnerable people with deep pockets. Extortionists pose as hired contract killers, contacting their target to inform them that a third party has paid for their murder. They then offer to spare the victim’s life in exchange for paying off the value of the original contract, which typically ranges from $40,000 to $60,000. Once the victim pays that sum, the scammers double down, offering to kill the person who originally put the hit out – and demand a second, even larger payout for that service. Beyond these two high-profile schemes, the officer noted that a wide range of other extortion tactics are currently in use across the country.

The senior official also added a key caveat for law enforcement: not every reported extortion claim is legitimate. In some cases, people who claim to be extortion victims are actually attempting to avoid repaying debts they owe to third parties, misleading police to escape their financial obligations.

The arrests this week come amid persistent reports of traditional extortion still targeting small businesses across central Trinidad. Earlier this week, an Express reporter visited multiple popular vending hubs in the region, where several vendors privately admitted that criminals still regularly demand informal “protection taxes” to allow them to operate their stalls without harassment or violence. While many vendors reported no experience with such demands, a small but notable number confirmed they still face regular extortion threats.

A brazen armed robbery that has shocked local law enforcement unfolded Sunday night near the Port of Spain waterfront, when a dozen attackers boarded a moored cargo vessel and stole thousands of dollars in cash and personal and nautical valuables from three crew members. The unusual incident, which unfolded steps from one of the capital’s most high-profile hotels, marked an unprecedented act of maritime banditry in the heart of Trinidad’s capital, according to senior police officials.

The targeted vessel, the C Elizabeth II, was secured alongside a maintenance barge for routine repairs just a short distance from Trinidad’s Hyatt Regency hotel when the attack began at approximately 10:30 p.m. Authorities confirmed the 12 attackers were heavily armed, carrying not just firearms but also edged weapons including cutlasses and axes, as they stormed the ship and declared their robbery to the crew on board.

Three crew members were on the vessel during the boarding: the ship’s captain, a national of Grenada, one crew member from Malick, Barataria, and a third from St. Vincent. The gang stole a wide range of property from the men, including personal items like mobile phones, gold and silver jewelry, and cash, alongside critical nautical equipment. Among the stolen goods were a GPS navigation system, a 100-liter oxygen tank, a 100-liter gas tank, an inflatable dinghy and a small outboard engine. As of initial investigations, the total value of all stolen property has not yet been finalized.

After completing the robbery, the suspects fled the anchored vessel in a small pirogue, leaving the three crew members unharmed but shaken by the incident. In an unexpected twist that has baffled investigators, the stolen property was partially returned less than seven hours after the attack. The captain told police that at around 5 a.m. Monday, he spotted a group of men in a pirogue approaching the C Elizabeth II, who attached the previously stolen dinghy to the ship before departing the area again. When crew checked the returned dinghy, they found the stolen engine, gas tank and other stolen equipment inside it, still intact.

Local law enforcement personnel have launched a full investigation into the incident. Officers Cpl Balchan and PC Phillip were first on the scene, processing forensic evidence and documenting the site with photographs, while PC Dopwell officially logged the incident report and requested access to nearby closed-circuit television footage to identify the attackers. Investigators are still awaiting formal statements from the three victims, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Contacted for comment on the unprecedented robbery, a senior Trinidadian police official told reporters he could not recall any similar armed robbery of a cargo vessel occurring so close to the core of the capital city. Troy Persad, president of the Shipping Association of Trinidad and Tobago, confirmed the organization would launch its own internal review of the incident to assess port security and identify any gaps that allowed the attack to occur. Jearlean John, Trinidad’s Minister of Works and Infrastructure, which oversees port operations, stated she had not yet been briefed on the robbery when contacted for comment.

A shocking case of prolonged captivity and abuse has emerged in Trinidad and Tobago, where a 42-year-old domestic worker was held against her will and tortured for seven months, leading to the arrest of two suspects and a tearful emotional reunion with her family after her escape. Sabita Basdeo, the victim, told law enforcement officers that her captors repeatedly beat her, burned her body, and slammed her head into walls during her confinement at a private residence in Penal. The two people taken into custody on Saturday are a 38-year-old woman and her 17-year-old son, who are currently being held by police as investigators build their case, with charges including potential false imprisonment already on the table.

The case came to official attention after social activist and Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society Vice-President Edward Moodie spotted circulating online videos detailing the abuse allegations. Acting quickly to protect Basdeo, Moodie shared the footage of the assault and captivity with top regional and national security officials, including Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander, Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, and the senior superintendent of the local TTPS district. On the same day of the arrest, the two suspects brought Basdeo to Barrackpore Police Station, where she formally identified them as her abusers before being transferred to a local hospital for urgent medical care. She was treated for visible bruises covering her body and face, alongside other unexplained marks of harm from the months of abuse.

At the family’s home in Barrackpore’s Ramlal Road, off Platinite Trace, Basdeo’s husband 56-year-old Krishendeo Basdeo and 17-year-old son Brandon Basdeo spoke publicly yesterday through tears about their years-long separation and their fight for justice. Brandon, who had been cut off from his mother for years before her rescue, described the emotional first meeting at the police station over the weekend. “The police picked me up and carried me to the station. As she saw me, she started to cry. She said it was a long time she did not see me. She hugged me. She asked for my brother. He was outside the station and didn’t get to come inside. Then they carried her to the hospital,” he recounted.

Expressing deep anger at the suspects, Brandon Basdeo told reporters: “I hope they get locked up and never come out again.” Despite the trauma of the ordeal, the teenager said he felt overwhelming relief that his mother is finally free from harm. “I feel better seeing she, knowing she will be out of there. I know nobody will be beating she, doing she nuttin. She will be better and making she self stronger now. I am glad for her,” he said.

The family told reporters they had believed Basdeo was gainfully employed as a housekeeper for the suspects, and had no idea she was being held captive, abused, and denied pay for her work. On multiple occasions when they tried to visit Basdeo at the property, they were attacked and forced off the land. “Not knowing that she was being abused and people were taking advantage of her, not getting paid,” Brandon explained. “On two occasions, my father went there, and they beat him. Then about a month ago, I went there with a man to pick up some manure, and when (one of the suspects) saw me, (the suspect) hit me a slap on my back and run me out from the place. I left.” It was only when the family saw an online video of Basdeo roughly a month ago that they learned of the ongoing abuse, he added.

As of yesterday, the two suspects remain in police custody, and formal charges have not yet been filed. In a WhatsApp statement to the *Express*, TTPS Head of Corporate Communications ASP Joanne Archie confirmed that investigators are still working to document the full scope of the abuse, with ongoing interviews between Basdeo, investigative officers, and staff from the Victims and Witness Support Unit to gather all relevant evidence before charges are formally laid. Investigations are continuing to uncover all circumstances surrounding the seven-month captivity.

Trinidad and Tobago’s industrial and manufacturing community is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent figures, Wayne Yip Choy, who died by suicide at his Westmoorings residence on Tuesday. Local law enforcement officials confirmed that preliminary investigations place the time of death around 2 p.m. local time.

Yip Choy’s 40-plus year career left an indelible mark on the nation’s business landscape, starting with his first major appointment in 1976 as managing director of Sweetheart Cakes Ltd. The small bakery operation would eventually rebrand to become Kiss Baking Company Ltd, one of the most recognizable household food brands across the twin-island nation. Beyond the baking sector, he went on to lead the Caribbean Development Company in the same top executive role, and also served a term as president of the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association, the leading industry body representing the country’s production sector.

Many industry observers point to his tenure at the helm of Angostura Holdings Ltd as the most high-profile chapter of his professional life. Yip Choy was brought in to lead the regional beverage and spirits conglomerate in 2009, stepping into the role immediately after the collapse of parent company CL Financial. At the time of his appointment, Angostura was saddled with massive unpaid debt and facing existential uncertainty, and Yip Choy was widely credited with steering the company through a successful financial turnaround that stabilized its operations and restored profitability.

His time at Angostura ended abruptly in 2011, however, amid a public and acrimonious dispute over performance-based compensation. Yip Choy claimed he was owed a $20 million performance bonus tied to the company’s improved financial results, a payment that Angostura’s leadership refused to authorize. The disagreement escalated into a lengthy legal battle that ultimately reached the nation’s High Court, where Justice James Aboud ruled fully in Yip Choy’s favor, awarding him $28 million in total compensation at the conclusion of the proceedings.

Outside of his core executive roles, Yip Choy also brought his decades of industry expertise to the boardrooms of two of the country’s leading construction materials firms, Readymix and Trinidad Cement Ltd, where he served as a board member for multiple terms. Tributes have begun to pour in from across Trinidad and Tobago’s business community this week, honoring Yip Choy’s decades of contributions to growing the nation’s manufacturing sector.