Abductors demand US$2.5 million for release of husband and wife in Trinidad

Police in Trinidad say the kidnapping of a 70-year-old man and his 45-year-old wife from their Monos Island home over the weekend is at a critical and sensitive point, and investigators are withholding operational details.

The abductors are demanding two point five million United States dollars for the release of Derek and Claribel Tardieu. A video circulating on social media shows the couple pleading for their lives while armed attackers point a gun and place what appears to be a grenade under Derek's head. The suspects themselves are not seen in the footage.

Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro said several specialised units are working on the case and urged anyone with information to contact the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. He said kidnapping for ransom will be met with firm action.

Media reports said a family friend received a voice note from a cellphone with a Colombian number. In the message, Derek confirms that he and his wife were taken and that the kidnappers want two point five million United States dollars for his release. He is heard appealing to relatives in both English and Spanish.

Monos Island is located about half a mile off the northwestern end of Trinidad in the Bocas del Dragon, a channel that includes four islands.

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