Victims of ECD criminal gang claim being ignored by Police

The victims of the notorious “Salt Fish” criminal gang are claiming that they have been given the royal run-around by the Police as they try to get information relating to their home invasion at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) last Sunday.
Michael Basdeo, the primary victim of the home invasion, indicated to this newspaper that they were being treated as if they were “the criminals”.

“On more than three occasions, I tried contacting the Police at the Vigilance Police Station to get information on the matter, but it seems as if they don’t want me to get justice,” Basdeo said.
He is fearful for his safety and that of his family as he believes the gang is capable of returning. He indicated that the gang was well-known to the Police, and one officer who visited his home after the robbery was reported told him that “these man them does spin back”.
The distraught man went on to vent his frustration about the system of justice, saying he did not know why the Police were not telling him the names of the individuals who were in custody, what they looked like or even how many of them were arrested.
To make matters worse, Basdeo said that he was not informed of the proper date to attend court, resulting in him being absent when the case was called.
According to Basdeo, the exact date of the next hearing seems to be uncertain, as the date reported in local newspapers and the date they were told differed and when he tried contacting the Police, the officers hung up on him.
Basdeo is also puzzled as to why his stolen laptop was confiscated as evidence and his car, which happens to be significantly damaged, was not secured as evidence and its theft was only considered “simple larceny”.
The gang allegedly sneaked into the Lot 81 Good Hope, ECD home around 02:30h and escaped with a quantity of cash and valuables, including Basdeo’s car. Basdeo retrieved his mangled car, which was found abandoned at Market Street, Annandale, ECD. The bandits had crashed his car into a stall and made good their escape.
Individuals around the area who had witnessed the accident described the occupants who exited the vehicle as the “notorious Salt Fish gang”, and pointed the Police and Basdeo in the direction of their home in Annandale.
Arrests were made as a result of finding a number of Basdeo’s stolen articles in the alleged bandits’ home.
This led to a mother and her two sons appearing before Magistrate Alisha George at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court on larceny charges. The woman, Mansoon Mohammed, was charged with unlawful possession, but pleaded not guilty and was placed on $40,000 bail. Her sons, Zaman and Hazihidiri Mohamed were also charged with seven counts of larceny and break and enter. They too pleaded not guilty, but the prosecution objected to bail. They were remanded to prison.