Kidnap victim Imran Mohammed-Khan owes his freedom to a brother and to the police officers who caught the suspects and killed them all in an alleged shoot-out yesterday.

Khan, of Fourth Street, Mt Lambert, was snatched at the gates to his family’s home at 8.30 a.m., blindfolded, handcuffed and taken away in the back seat of a car.

The brother who witnessed the abduction followed the abductors’ car, stayed on the phone with police and orchestrated the rescue near a farm road at Carlsen Field, Chaguanas.

Khan, whose family owns a jewelry store on Queen Street, Port of Spain- Joycie’s Jewelry Store-may have been bitten by the police tracker dogs let loose on the suspects, who were also mauled.

The identities of the dead men were not known last night. Police are relying on fingerprints or family to positively identify them. Police said the suspects all appeared to be teenagers.

The work of the officers was recognised last night by Assistant Commissioner of Police-South Shah Mohammed, who said ’it was a job well done by the police, and I congratulated them’.

’The victim was rescued unharmed although he was handcuffed, and the three persons who shot at the cops met their demise,’ Mohammed said.

Police said they recovered a .357 magnum with six rounds of ammunition and a home-made shotgun with three live cartridges and a spent shell.

Police were told that Khan reversed his sports utility vehicle onto the road and stepped from the vehicle to close the gates when the kidnappers pulled up in a blue Nissan Almera yesterday morning. Khan was forced into the back seat of the car.

Several persons on their way to either work, school or just conducting their usual daily business witnessed the abduction.

The brother followed the kidnappers as they made their way out of the community, which has only one main access road going in.

In a short time, the Criminal Intelligence Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Crime Suppression Unit, Special Anti-Crime Unit and Central Division Task Force officers were called in.

The suspects were followed along the Uriah Butler Highway. They exited at the Chase Village overpass. The car then travelled the back roads, leading to the village of Fireburn where it was abandoned.

The vehicle was spotted by officers aboard the police helicopter, and the ground team was notified. Police said they confronted the men as they prodded Khan, blindfolded and shackled, towards a hideout camp. It is there the alleged gunfight occurred.

After the shoot-out, the men were taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre in the open tray of a police pick-up. All were pronounced dead on arrival.

Khan also received medical treatment. His clothing was stained with mud and blood.

The examination room where the bodies were taken was used for two hours by crime scene officers to lift fingerprints while police officers and patients milled about outside.

Police are in search of a fourth suspect.

ASP Johnny Abraham and Sgt Wayne Lawrence and McKenzie led the police response.

The number of people killed by police so far this year rose to 35 following yesterday’s incident, on par with last year’s toll at this same stage.