Police have questioned and released the business partner of kidnapped Jamaican businessman Yohan Chin.
The development came two days before Chin’s family made a public appeal for his abductors to contact them to complete negotiations for his safe release in a newspaper ad.
Chin, whose family owns a chain of businesses in Jamaica and Canada, is still missing and it is uncertain whether he is even alive. A US$6 million ransom was demanded for his safe return.
Chin’s business partner, who was arrested for a second time this week, has since changed his vehicle and is said to be in hiding. On the last occasion, police questioned him for 72 hours before releasing him again. So far, Chin’s Mercedez Benz has been sold along with a Porsche, as family and friends try to raise money to meet the kidnappers’ demands.
However, a source who requested anonymity told Guardian Media that one of Chin’s acquaintances was involved in a drug theft and he was being held captive until the drugs and ransom are paid in full.
The family has been negotiating with the kidnappers for the past two weeks. The kidnappers are said to be well connected and are believed to be responsible for other kidnappings in the past.
The abduction was similar to that of Sheldon Sukhdeo, brother of slain drug dealer Sheron Sukhdeo. Chin’s business partner reported the kidnapping two days after it occurred.
In a statement, the partner said he received a call from Chin on April 14 indicating that armed men wearing ski masks and two with hats with the word ‘police’ came to his home. Chin told his business partner he was at an unknown location and advised him to organise some money, promising to call back with further instructions.
When Chin contacted his the partner again, he was advised him to go his (Chin’s) home and secure a Porsche car for safe keeping but when the partner arrived the house was ransacked.
On April 16, Chin again called the partner asking him to sell the Porsche and his Mercedes Benz. Several times after that, Chin called his partner to contact their lawyer to organise and sell a piece of land which they had planned to use in a business deal.
However, calls then went cold for two weeks, prompting the family to take out an advertisement asking the abductors to contact them to complete negotiations.