Radar spotted boat with kidnapped granny: 10 arrested

73-year-old kidnapping victim Tara Poliah was rescued late Wednesday night after law enforcement intercepted a vessel off the coast of Trinidad, following a radar alert that triggered a multi-agency response. The operation unfolded just before midnight, when officers acting on intelligence from the Radar Centre intercepted a boat approximately one nautical mile north-northwest of Corozal.

On board, they found the abducted woman along with eight men, six Venezuelan nationals and two Trinidad and Tobago nationals, all of whom were detained. Poliah, who had been taken from her San Juan home just hours earlier, was found unharmed.

Police said the kidnapping occurred around 7.12 p.m. at a residence along Don Miguel Road, where the woman was approached by a man and three accomplices. She was forced into a white Nissan AD Wagon, which then drove off in a northerly direction. Investigators believe the victim was being transported out to sea when the vessel was detected.

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Recent kidnappings involving Venezuelan suspects

Poliah’s abduction is one of four in the past 12 months where Venezuelans were suspected to be involved:

Feb 3: Penal businessman Michael Alejandro Espana Ramnath was kidnapped while returning home. Ramnath, 34, who operates the Best Friends Burger Cart, was released weeks after he was grabbed. An undisclosed ransom was reportedly paid.

March 17: San Juan resident Cody Narine was abducted while at Tyrico Bay and is believed to be in Venezuela, after “Spanish-speaking men” demanded a ransom of US$50,000 for his release.

December 6, 2025: Derrick and Clarabelle Tardieu were kidnapped from their Monos Island home island and a US$2.5 million ransom initially demanded. Ten days later, Derrick was released after less than $200,000 was reportedly paid. Approximately three weeks later, his wife was released. The ransom payment for her was not disclosed.

@sgtdjones

Frightening l! Hope dem RH get life behind bars. And, if there was a hell it'd be fair for those responsible for Vene becoming a failed state burn there too. (Sanctions far outweigh mismanagement if any)