Police Use Fingerprint to Identify Victim
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO — Homicide police investigating a severed right arm found in the sea off Matura beach on Sunday and a severed leg on Monday went to the Forensic Science Centre on Tuesday with a fingerprint expert and were able to identify the victim, the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday has reported.
On Sunday at around 4 pm a man walking along the beach discovered the arm floating in the water and called the police. The limb was taken to the Forensic Science Center.
On Monday around 4 pm the severed foot of a man was seen floating at the same beach and was also retrieved by police, Newsday said.
According to the newspaper, ACP Irwin Hackshaw ordered fingerprints to be taken from the severed hand. Police were then able to make a positive match from their database and the victim was identified as Raffique Mohammed of Penal.
Mohammed, according to the Newsday report, was in the system because in November 2010 Matura police charged him with trafficking in marijuana and took his print as normal procedure.
Investigators contacted the Penal and Barrackpore police on Tuesday to check whether Mohammed’s relatives had reported his disappearance, but they had not. Homicide officers and Eastern Division police under Insp Ken Lutchman were expected to contact Mohammed’s family to assist in their investigation into his murder, the newspaper reported.
Police were reported by Newsday as saying, they now have reason to believe Mohammed may have been involved in the illegal drug trade.
Police said they plan to ask the Coast Guard to search the eastern coast close to Matura for Mohammed’s other body parts.
