Trinidad: No ransom demands for kidnapped Cost Cutters co-owner

Taken away: Co$$ Cutters supermarket in Sangre Grande where businesswoman Mary Ali was kidnapped yesterday in the car park of the supermarket by two men.
Taken away: Co$$ Cutters supermarket in Sangre Grande where businesswoman Mary Ali was kidnapped yesterday in the car park of the supermarket by two men.

(Trinidad Guardian) Relatives of a Sangre Grande businesswoman, who was kidnapped outside her family’s supermarket on Wednesday morning, are yet to receive a ransom request.

Police sources told Guardian Media, that relatives of Mary Ali, the co-owner of the Cost Cutters chain of supermarkets, had not received a call from kidnappers to confirm she is in their custody or to demand payment for her safe release, up to late yesterday.

Concerned relatives decided yesterday afternoon to offer a reward for valid information that will lead to her recovery.

Mary Ali

They have guaranteed that all information or calls will be treated with the strictest confidentiality and have asked callers to contact the Ali’s at 273-0123.

According to reports, around 7.50 am on Wednesday, Ali parked her vehicle at the car park of the Sangre Grande branch, located at the corner of Juteram and George Streets in Sangre Grande, and was walking towards the entrance.

Two men came out of a car and bundled her inside before driving away in the direction of Coalmine, Sangre Grande.

An all-points bulletin with a description of the getaway vehicle was issued to apprehend the suspects but no arrests were made.

Two of the supermarket’s security guards, who were escorting her, told police that they were fearful for their lives so they ran away and hid behind a house.

Officers from several police units including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU), Cybercrime Unit, the Special Operations Response Team (SORT), and Sangre Grande CID have been assigned to investigate the case.

With reporting by Ralph Banwarie.