A Chaguanas man has been granted own bail in the sum of $95,000, after being taken to court today, by officers of the newly formed Anti-Extortion Unit, to answer to 22 charges, including nine counts of Demanding Money by Menace, totalling $153,000.

According to the TTPS, VARINDRANATH MARAJ, 37, was also charged with one count of Kidnapping, one count of Common Assault, one count of Possession of Firearm, one count of Possession of Ammunition, one count of Possession of Firearm to Endanger Life, one count of Possession of Ammunition to Endanger Life and seven counts of Robbery amounting to $73,000, when he appeared before Master Shabiki Cazabon, on Monday 4th November, 2024.

He was not called upon to plead, was granted bail and the Sufficiency Hearing date set for July 2025. A male victim reported to police that during the period January 2024 to October 2024, a man known to him demanded several sums of money from him at different times. He alleges that on one occasion the suspect kidnapped him at gunpoint.

A report was made to the police and an investigation launched, spearheaded by ACP ‘Administration’, Richard Smith and supervised by Sgt. Bacchus and Cpl Phillip, both of the Anti- Extortion Unit.

One male suspect was arrested in connection with the incident on Tuesday 29th October, 2024. Maraj was charged with the offences by Cpl Baksh, also of the Anti-Extortion Unit, on Sunday 3rd November, 2024.