Family flees Linden in fear of wanted gunman

Mar 31, 2011 News

---

…but man says that he is against drug dealers

Fear and lack of confidence in the police in the community of Wismar, Linden, combined with a gunman that carries an AK47, who also has associates that prowl at nights has caused an entire family to abandon their home and run for their lives.
In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, close relatives of the terrorised family said that wanted man Orlando Thom who recently terrorised their relatives, is armed and dangerous and has been prowling in the nights around the mining town, threatening to end their lives.
“People in the market who use to sell late don’t do that anymore, because he coming out in the night and walking with that thing and everybody frighten. Linden was not a place like this. Everybody frighten,” relatives said.

Police recently issued a wanted bulletin for Thom who they want to question in connection with an alleged kidnapping.
As recent as last Monday Thom, a former national swimming champion, was fingered in the attack on a New England family during which a vehicle was damaged by a bullet fired from the weapons he was carrying.
He has successfully managed to elude capture and this had led to the increased fear among his targets.
It was revealed that Thom has an associate who is believed to be a Colombian.
The man was described as muscular and squatty, who is always in Thom’s company while he is on the prowl at nights. “Nobody don’t even know this man name or anything much about him.”
Relatives said that a few weeks ago Thom kidnapped a close family member but after realising that it was the wrong person the man was released on the road to Ituni.
But a man who identified himself as Orlando Thom has a slightly different story. In a telephone conversation he said that he has no intention of killing anyone. He said that if he was a killer he would killed many people who have offended him since he has been on the run.
Asked about the course of action that has led to him being a wanted man, the man who said that he was Thom, explained that some time back he had a problem with some drug dealers, some of whom were his relatives.
He also admitted to having a problem with Khemraj Fredericks, who he said is a relative. “God is within me.”
He said that some time back he had a confrontation with Fredericks and he went after him with a jucker. He said that all hell broke loose after that incident.
He said that three years ago the police went to Old England and killed 21-year-old Ronald Parris, a person who was very close to him. He said that the killing really hurt him.
“This year the police came to a farm where they thought I was and fired about 90 rounds. They caught a man named Nigel.”
The man said that the police were operating under the orders of a known drug dealer. “They told my mother that they would kill me and dump my body outside her house.”
He said that the police also used their powers to beat a relative, Rowell Alleyne, because Alleyne was on a cell phone at the time they arrested him.”
He said that he never robbed Khemraj Fredericks or Sukraj Fredericks. “I never took anything.”
Explaining the kidnapping, the man said that he took a driver attached to the Fredericks to let “him show me the ganja farm and then I released him.”
But the people of Linden say Thom is dangerous.
“Anybody that this man don’t like he is threatening to kill them, and everybody is afraid him. He even send a message with his family to tell people that he would f!@# up them too-father, mother brother, sister, anybody who mess around,” the source said.
It was disclosed that as recent as Tuesday night Thom visited a house to check for the family that was already on the run.
However, he found no one at the house in Siberien Wismar and he left.
“This man (Orlando Thom) does always be in an army suit in the night, and got police contacts. Everybody who go to the station to make a report, Orlando does know exactly what they tell the police. He could even tell you what you say….when you go to the police officer with information to protect your life and the police leaking information to the bandit. My life is not safe anymore, my life is at a risk. Nobody don’t trust the police.” relatives said.
It was also said that Thom’s relatives in Linden are providing him with support, food, shelter, and with information on what is going on in the area.
“The police are not even investigating his family. They don’t even do anything to find this man although he is wanted for various crimes.”
The relatives of the terrorised victims disclosed that they were told that on the Sunday night when Orlando Thom visited their next of kin in Siberien or Old England, in Wismar, the police were called on several occasions even as the attack was taking place.
However, according to them, the police said that they were afraid to visit the home at that time of night and would do so in the morning.
“Imagine if Orlando get into the people house and kill all of them, then the police would have only reached bodies there that morning. Until 9 o’clock the police go at the house. When we ask the Sergeant what happened he said he sent people to the place but he ain’t know what happen.”
“Orlando even threatened Sukraj and Khemraj to kill them if he see them in Linden…he gave the family six days to get out of Linden,” the terrified relatives said.
“Somebody got to be supplying him with weapons and money because he don’t work anywhere.”
The relatives of the terrorised victims are appealing to members of the police force in the city to visit Linden to apprehend Orlando Thom, since they have no confidence in the ranks from the mining town in apprehending him.
They are convinced that without the intervention of ranks from the city the safety of their lives cannot be guaranteed.
But Thom says that he is not what people try to make out. He also has a political problem. He says that the government is doing precious little for Linden. He said that he wants to see laws in place to help Linden’s poor and vulnerable.
He also wants to see action against drug dealers.
Last year police from the city captured Colin Jones, who escaped from the Providence Police Station and was hiding out in the mining town for almost a year.
Jones had been charged in connection with the July 17, 2009 fire that destroyed the Health Ministry building.
Following his capture Jones was charged with murders and attacks on police stations.

---

---