With both hands tied behind their backs, two friends were shot dead and their bodies dumped in a citrus plantation, miles away from their homes.
They were snatched while walking along Coffee Street, San Fernando, on Saturday night and bundled into a seven-seater van. An hour before, three teenagers had also been abducted by men reportedly wearing soldier uniforms, beaten and dropped off at various locations, police said.
The dead teens were identified as Jessie Karamath, 16, and Daniel Bowen, 18. They were found in an estate off Brasso Main Road in Central Trinidad yesterday. Their killings pushed the murder toll to 73 for the year thus far.
Ramoutar Singh, caretaker of the estate, said he went with two customers to pick oranges when he saw the bodies.
"It was around 8 a.m. when two customers came to buy oranges and I went with them to pick. We picked on one side and while walking around to the other side we saw the bodies. We did not even get time to look at them. We just called the police and they took over," Singh said.
Karamath was walking home with his sister, Jinelle, when the van pulled alongside them around 11.45 p.m.
"We walked through Lower Hillside and a van pulled up. Two men jumped out and a woman opened the door from inside. They pushed my brother inside the van and drove off. All I know is that somebody called this morning and said he was dead," she said yesterday.
Bowen lived at Carlton Lane, San Fernando, with his family. They were too distraught to speak with the media yesterday.
"We just found out about it and we really cannot talk right now," a relative said.
Police said the bodies bore several gunshot wounds. An autopsy will be performed this morning to determine the cause of death.
The teenagers' bodies were found metres away from the spot where Brian Pierre, a suspect in several kidnappings, was shot dead by police last month. And near the area, 52-year-old handyman, George Ashby, was shot by police two weeks ago.
Residents said they have been calling for regular police patrols, since the area was becoming a "crime hot spot".
In the other incident, Brian Williams, president of the Antillean Steel Orchestra, said three members of the band were also abducted on Friday night. He said the boys, all 17, were liming at a birthday party on Coffee Street when men dressed in soldier uniforms grabbed them.
"They carried them to Palmyra where they beat them and accused them of stealing money. They then dropped them off in various locations in San Fernando. The soldiers told them it was a case of mistaken identity," he said.
Williams said the teens were dedicated steelpan players and were not involved in criminal activities.
"I am not sure if the abductions were connected, but I know my boys are genuine and were just liming with friends when the soldiers took them," he said.
