(Trinidad Express) San Fernando businessman Gregory Laing has been freed. A ransom was paid in exchange for his life.
Laing was released at around 5.05p.m. yesterday on the Beetham Highway. He has made contact with his family.
The Police Service has since confirmed that Laing was “safely located by the Anti Kidnapping Unit”.
The ransom was delivered in two locations during the day by a relative of Laing who was allowed to speak several times with relatives. He told them he had not been hurt.
Family members were rejoicing yesterday afternoon. Laing was held captive for about 14 hours.
Laing was snatched outside his bakery, Puff N Stuff, at Circular Road and in less than an hour a ransom of TT$270,000 was demanded for his return.
Police said the call for ransom to Laing’s family originated from Beetham Gardens, Port of Spain.
Road blocks were conducted there as well as Laventille but officers found nothing that led to the victim.
Laing is believed to have been kidnapped around 3 a.m. when he would routinely open his bakery in preparation of the day’s sales.
An employee who turned up for work saw Laing’s Mercedes Benz in the car park.
A set of keys and a cell phone belonging to Laing were found on the ground near the vehicle.
Investigators believe that the kidnap plan had been hatched for some time, and his assailants were awaiting for an unguarded moment to ambush Laing.
Laing lives in a gated community in St Joseph Village, a five-minute drive away from the bakery. It is believed that he had just exited his car and was near the door to the business place for employees when he was taken away by kidnappers.
No witnesses have come forward to the police with information.
Police searched through closed circuit television footage for leads into the getaway vehicle and a description of the assailants.
Investigators impounded and examined the car belonging to Laing.
The vehicle was towed by police officers and handed over to officers of the Special Evidence Recovery Unit (SERU).
Several police units of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit, Southern Division Task Force, and other officers are working on the case and at around midday yesterday the heads of those units held a meeting, the Express was told.
At the bakery, sales continued, and a sign was posted on the front door indicating their business would now close at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.
A spokesperson for the Laing family said that they were upset over the media coverage of the kidnapping. The spokesperson said that the family thought the posting of pictures of Laing’s car and his wife, Juliette, was “tactless”.
He said if the family had anything further to say on the matter they would inform the media.
Residents surrounding the bakery said they heard a “commotion” but did not know until later that a crime had been committed.
“I hear a commotion up the road but I didn’t look out. I didn’t even know he get kidnapped”, one resident said.
“It is amazing how this happened. The man is working hard every day. He doing everything in the business – toting crates of bread and everything. He is a very nice person”, another said. President of the San Fernando Business Association Daphne Bartlett said her thoughts and prayers were with the Laing family.
“It is sad that someone gets up that early in the morning to perform his duties and you are attacked. It is not a good message to send to the young people who are trying to be entrepreneurs and going out there to start their own business and achieve something”, said Bartlett.
San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello called on citizens to go to the police if they had information on the crime.
In a media statement from the San Fernando City Corporation, it stated: “San Fernando has relatively avoided the brunt of criminal activity in Trinidad and Tobago, today’s event further galvanizes the need for all our citizens to take back our City streets. Mr Laing is one of San Fernando’s model business owners and is noted for providing employment for many of the citizens of San Fernando. While the charitable contributions of his company are a testament to Mr. Laing’s dedication towards the City of San Fernando”.
