(Trinidad Guardian) Police say the murder of Maraval businessman Anthony Chen and the kidnapping of restaurant owner Xue Hua Shan, who is still missing, are linked, but the cases may never be solved. Suspects were extensively questioned and released, but investigators have been unable to make any breakthroughs leading to arrests. Shan, 31, was kidnapped a month ago, a few metres from her home at Seventh Street, Barataria. She is the owner of Happy Garden Restaurant located on Main Road, St Helena.
A worker at Japs Fried Chicken, which is located next to the restaurant, said almost immediately after Shan was abducted, her business place was closed. The worker said the Chinese workers at the restaurant had not been seen since. Investigators said they believed the woman was dead and the prospects of finding her body were slim. But Chen’s murder and Shan’s kidnapping paint a broader and disturbing picture of organised crime orchestrated by what may appear to be the rapidly increasing and far-reaching tentacles of Asian criminal gangs in T&T, police sources said.
Front for racketeering
According to local law enforcement officials, many businesses, mainly restaurants and private members clubs, are fronts for “crime dens.” They say some restaurants which appear to be ordinary food establishments may be involved in other activities, hidden behind their kitchens and rows of dining tables. Several members’ clubs, according to officers from a Port-of-Spain based intelligence unit, are fronts for a host of illegal activities, including high-end prostitution, gambling and even motor car larceny. Officers referred to an eating establishment in Port-of-Spain where the owner was fingered as the head of a car stealing ring in west Trinidad.
Police said young local men are being hired to steal the cars and vehicles parked in front of or close to certain business places are monitored as potential targets. They said it was very unlikely that a Chinese person would be a suspect in criminal activities, especially car theft, since they did not fall into the police’s normal criminal profiling. “It is highly unlikely that police would suspect a Chinese man would be driving around with a stolen car, but that is the information coming to us,” police said. “Everybody believes the Chinese have money and are doing their things legitimately, but that is not always the case,” an officer said. He said some three weeks ago, a Chinese national, owner of a restaurant in St James, was detained for possession of a stolen laptop computer. The device was taken out of the trunk of a stolen car. Because the suspect “knew people,” he was released just as charges were about to be laid.
Language barrier problem
One of the reasons why there are few arrests of Chinese nationals suspected to be involved in crime is the language barrier. Officers from the Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) say often when a Chinese national is detained, it is difficult to gather information. An officer said a request first had to be made to the Chinese Embassy for an interpreter, which could result in a 24-hour delay.
In addition, he said, the very culture of the Chinese is to “keep things to themselves.” Officers believe that is why Chen’s murder and Shan’s kidnapping may never be solved. “The Chinese community knows without a doubt what triggered these two crimes but no one is talking, not even the businessman’s family,” the police officer said. “They are not assisting us so how can we help them? They are keeping everything close to their chest. We, as law enforcement officers, could only do so much.” According to reports, Chen was a “heavy gambler” and who owed his associates large debts. He frequented a gambling den located a stone’s throw away from Wrightson Road in Port-of-Spain.
The Victorian-style house is outfitted with three electronic iron gates. Inside, one of the bedrooms has been converted to a gambling room with tables for poker and rummy. The room is equipped with a buzzer and has an exit leading to a kitchen at the back. The owner of the property collects a “tax” off winning bets to keep the establishment running. “The tax is also used for providing drinks and refreshment for guests who come to gamble,” a police source said. “Chen used to frequent the house and would place huge sums on bets, from $10,000 and up…That’s the kind of money these fellas have.” Police said they had information that a high-ranking official of the Immigration Department frequented the house.
Subhas: I’ve heard about Chinese mafia
Minister in the Ministry of National Security Subhas Panday said he had been “hearing about” a Chinese mafia operating in T&T. “Yes, I have heard about the Chinese mafia and the issue is of concern,” he said. “But to say there is tangible evidence—that’s where the problem lies but we will not sit idly by and allow any sort of criminal activities to run the country. “We will do everything in our power to stamp it out.”
High-level information can’t be revealed—Ewatski
Asked whether there a Chinese mafia operating in T&T, Deputy Police Commissioner in charge of Operations Jack Ewatski said he would not make any “broad statements” about criminal activities. He said it is also imperative that the Police Service not reveal “high-level information” to the general public. “We are out there doing the best that we can,” Ewatski said, adding that any type of crime would generated concern.
He assured that his officers were doing all in their power to solve Chen’s murder and Shan’s kidnapping. “We are concerned about any type of crime that is committed by anybody and we will deal with it at all levels,” he said. “Our intelligence officers are working very hard and we are looking at all angles and motives for Chen’s murder and to solve this as quickly as possible.” He said he would not comment on speculation regarding who and why some one wanted the businessman murdered but appealed to people who could assist the police with information to come forward. Crime stoppers has offered a reward of $100,000 for information leading to Shan’s safe release.
