Thieves strike Basseterre twice in one night!!
By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com
~~Adz:Left~~BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THIEVES went on a rampage early Saturday morning leaving a number of fishermen in need and a popular businessman still counting his losses.
Fishermen at the Newtown Fisheries Complex reported Saturday that on arrival at the Complex they found many of their tools of trade among other personal items missing from within a section of the establishment.
On arrival at the Complex, SKNVibes met two seasoned fishermen, who gave their names only as Dingo and Bertram, and was led to a building that comprises a number of lockers in which their equipment, tools and other personal items are normally secured for safe keeping and quick access in plying their trade.
It was observed that one of the thick glass windows of the building was damaged in an attempt to gain access, but the thief/thieves was/were unable to enter from there. The thief/thieves however entered the building through an unlocked door and broke the locks to four locker rooms and another one in an adjacent building.
Dingo told SKNVibes that about 6:30 a.m. on the day in question he received a call from his fishing partner, who told him about the breakage of the building and urged him to go to the Complex.
“When I got to the Complex I saw four doors in one section of the locker room were broken, and upon checking I discovered that a bag containing engine and plumbing tools was missing. Bertram and I also discovered that two Spear Guns were also missing. We are fishers and we depend on these stolen items to earn our living…now we have to think about replacing them and they cost a lot of money,” Dingo said.
Another fisherman, Patrick Nisbett, said the door to his locker was also broken and he lost a diving glass, one Spear Gun and two rubbers. He also stated that his diving suit was removed from the locker room but was later found in the adjacent building.
A third fisherman told SKNVibes that he arrived sometime after 6 o’clock this morning, found the door to his locker opened and on checking discovered his disposable camera, one cellular phone, one torchlight, one case of Red Bull and three bottles of Brandy missing.
This media house was informed that other fishermen suffered losses but was unable to contact them. These losses include flares that fishermen would use as signals should they be in distress while out at sea.
Meanwhile, the second incident took place sometime after midnight at All Solutions International in the CA Paul Southwell Industrial Park, Basseterre.
According to Wallcot Hillocks, owner of the company, he had left the building shortly before Friday midnight after completing some administrative functions and was notified by that the building was broken and entered.
SKNVibes was present on arrival of Hillocks and members of the Criminal Investigation Department at the scene of the crime, and learned that entrance to the building was made by damaging one of the windows of the lower flat on the western side.
Hillocks declared that a preliminary check revealed two Lap Top Computers [a Toshiba valued at US$3 290 and a Dell valued at EC$2 000), two envelopes containing EC$838 [salaries of two employees] and a quantity of silver coins in two plastic bags as well as the key to the company’s van were stolen.
He however stated at the time that a thorough check would be done to ascertain if any other item or equipment was removed from the premises.
“This is what I have awoken this morning to hear, thieves broke into my building? Is this the reward one gets for hard work and sacrifice?” Hillocks expressed, adding that the thief or thieves had stolen his computer in which all of his clients’ drawings and other important information was stored.
On entering the building, the thief or thieves attempted to get to the top flat by cutting a hole in the floor, but failed in the attempt because a power saw found in that area was without power to do so. An axe was also found in the same area.
The perpetrator(s) however unscrewed the ‘dead bolt’ and damaged another lock on the western door, removed a ladder from within the building and damaged a window to the upper flat to gain entrance.
According to Hillocks and most of the employees present at the scene, the perpetrator(s) seemed to have had prior knowledge of the inner layout of the building because “it is unlikely for a stranger to have known exactly where switches to the lighting systems in both flats were situated”.
SKNVibes learned that only the outer lights of the building were on after the owner had secured the premises for the night; and on examination of the inner layout it would have been highly improbable for a stranger to have located the switches and, more so, freely move within the clustered areas [filled with machines, tools and other items] without causing injury to himself.
It was also revealed that a six-inch blade knife was found in one of the offices in the upper flat, which was not owned by the proprietor or any of his employees.
Additionally, it was concluded that the individual(s) who broke into the building is the same person(s) who had earlier stole the fishermen’s tools of trade and personal items, because one of the flares missing from the Newtown Fisheries Complex was found on the premises of All Solutions International.
Police have indicated that investigations into the two incidents are ongoing.
Fisheries Break-in
