A TOTAL of 26 persons have been reported missing to date for the month of May, with 17 being found alive.
Among the latest reports is 16-year-old Ashanna John of Carapo, Arima, who was last seen on Tuesday.
According to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the teenager of African descent, from Carapo, Arima, is described as five feet, seven inches tall, brown in complexion, with short hair. Ashanna was last seen wearing a white hijab, grey jersey, and multi-coloured tights. A missing person report was made at the Arima Police Station on Wednesday.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the individual is asked to call the Arima Police Station at 667-3563, 800-TIPS, 555, 999, 911, or contact any police station.
The Hunters Search and Rescue Team is still searching for:
· Richard Singh, 46, missing since May 16, from St James
Speaking with AZP News on Thursday, Hunter Search and Rescue Team Commander Shamsudeen Ayube. said that data was being monitored internally and a list can be provided. However, he noted that he must confirm the latest figures with the designated team member responsible for tracking such reports.
On the methods used for search operations, Ayube said “We gather all the information we receive, use it to develop intelligence…and then we narrow down areas or the places that we can conduct the searches. We conduct interviews with people in the area. Somebody may tell us something extra that they would not give to the police and we then gather our information and go from there, and we will pass it to the police too, If it need warrant, to the police, we will send it immediately to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit.”
Ayube also emphasised that their approach differs from that of the police.
He said, “We don’t just take reports and put them down. We actively investigate, share missing persons’ information on social media, and we also do investigations, an intense investigation.”
