Saturday’s bloodbath in Icacos, Cedros, may be a hit from overseas as police sources say the intended target, Amit Samaroo, was a known drug and gun dealer with connections to a South American drug cartel.
Investigators said they were still verifying some of the information. However, police informants suggest that Samaroo, 29, also known as Sánchez, had the help of several law enforcement officers to get shipments into the country and transport it to different locations.
It is believed he was involved in a drug shipment some months ago but millions worth of the illegal cargo went missing. It was also believed a string of murders over the past months may be linked to the missing drugs.
Investigators are still trying to determine from which country the drugs came and which cartel Samaroo was linked with but they strongly believe the hit on his life came from overseas.
This hit also claimed the life of his 19-year-old sister-in-law Kimberly Mohammed and the wounding of six other people.
Ten weeks ago, Mohammed and Samaroo’s brother, Navindra Tambie, 24, celebrated the birth of their first child, Safiyya Naviana Tambie.
An autopsy on Samaroo’s body yesterday showed that he was shot approximately ten times.
Forensic reports suggested he was the main target of the gunmen.
After being shot several times, he turned around and tried to run but collapsed within a short distance. His killer stood over him and fired a few more shots at his head, eyewitnesses reported.
Mohammed’s death was said to be collateral damage as she suffered a single gunshot wound with the bullet entering the back of her head and exiting through her face.
Speaking by telephone yesterday, Samaroo’s mother Lalitta Tambie said she believes her son’s death would be left unsolved. “I feel I will not get any justice. I feel the police would not do anything. My child died and that is the end of it,” Tambie said.
The mother said on Sunday she did not know anything about her son’s involvement in trafficking drugs.
Shells recovered from the crime scene were sent for ballistics analysis while the SUV abandoned by the gunmen at a coconut estate in Icacos was sent to the Special Anti-Crime Unit (SAUTT) facility in Cumuto for forensic tests.
Investigators were yet to get the chassis number of the vehicle to determine the owner but suspect that it might have been stolen.
Relatives said Mohammed’s funeral would be held at her Lemessey Street home on Wednesday at 1 pm while Samaroo’s funeral would be Thursday from 1 pm.
A night of chaos
Reports suggest that around 11.30 pm, Samaroo, his brother Karan Tambie, 31 and his sister-in-law Patricia Toolsie, 24, were liming at their home opposite Lover’s Lane with their friend Ricardo Massey, 25.
With the street crowded with people attending a party at the nearby Lover’s Paradise Bar, a new model Nissan X-Trail pulled up and two occupants, one armed with an automatic rifle and the other with a handgun, emerged and opened fire on the group.
Samaroo and Mohammed died at the scene. Karan, his wife Toolsie, and Massey were also shot. Witnesses said after the gunmen returned to the SUV, they continued shooting through the crowd, hitting Utilda Williams, 60, of North Trace, Chatham, her friend Leon Graham, 67, of Mahaica, Point Fortin and Niel Paul, 27, of Marabella. Those injured were taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital and later transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital.
Snr Supt Patsy Joseph said additional resources have been sent to the community to prevent reprisals and to ease residents fear.