As Venezuelan news site Tane Tanae reports that missing Debe hairstylist Ria Sookdeo was sighted in Tucupita. Her father, Frankie Rajkumar, is pleading with investigators to go across there to search for his daughter.
In a text message yesterday, corporate communications manager of the T&T Police Service Ellen Lewis said they had no information on Sookdeo being seen in Venezuela. However, she said Interpol would now be engaged to assist in the investigation.
Speaking at his home yesterday, Rajkumar said he was at the Miracle Ministries International on Wednesday night when the news came over the television.
He said he only heard relatives speaking of it and could not say whether it was concrete evidence.
He said the police were clueless as to why Sookdeo was abducted or where she was taken so they should check all leads.
Sookdeo, 34, of Raghoo Village, Debe, was bundled into a black Nissan X-Trail SUV five weeks ago at the corner of the Papourie Road and the Picton Estate Drive, Picton.
According to reports, she had just dropped off her children, Elana, nine, and Torres, five, at their Picton Presbyterian Primary School and was attempting to turn her SUV when her abductors blocked her path.
Two gunmen, dressed in tactical clothing, got out and forced her into their SUV and sped off.
Later that day, relatives and South Western Division Task Force searched areas in Cedros, Erin and Palo Seco as there were rumours that she was being smuggled to Venezuela.
Tane Tanae, which reports on the Amacuro Delta, stated that unofficial information suggested that Sookdeo was seen near a known shipping company that covers the Delta Amacuro-Trinidad route.
“I believe they should grab at this opportunity and send someone across there to investigate the matter. If they don’t have anything, no clue and we get something like this, I believe we should go and look, send something across there.
‘National Security Minister, I plead to you again, if you can send some profession person there to look at the situation. At the end of the day, I just want my daughter back home with me,” Rajkumar said yesterday.
Yesterday, Sookdeo’s husband, Mark, went to the San Fernando Police Station to retrieve their SUV which was held by police since the abduction. Meanwhile, their children continue to stay at home.