From Caribbean360

Five Trinidad and Tobago nationals, including three Muslim leaders, are being held in Venezuela amid charges of an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Saturday March 29, 2014, CMC – Five Trinidad and Tobago nationals, including three Muslim leaders, are being held in Venezuela amid charges of an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Rear Admiral Richard Kelshall, who headed a Trinidad and Tobago delegation to Caracas, told the Trinidad Express newspaper that “we are trying to have the Imams extricated from this situation, and we are working on that but this matter is extremely sensitive and we have to be careful.”

“We hope to secure a proper resolution to the matter, but I can’t discuss anything more about the men, since their case is before a Venezuelan court,” he said.

Kelshall returned here on Friday night, accompanied by six women and eight children, who had previously been arrested by the Venezuelan authorities during the week as part of the alleged plot.

Venezuelan media reports said that the five Trinidad and Tobago nationals had teamed up with rogue Venezuelan police officers and other men to carry out the plan.

The Express newspaper quoting intelligent sources, said that President Maduro had obtained crucial information about the plot from members of the El Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional (SEBIN) and they took the threat seriously.

The names of those involved in the alleged plot have been published in the Venezuelan newspaper and the Express newspaper said they also include a Guyanese and Haitian born naturalised citizens of Venezuela, who were being trained to handle firearms.

The men were held in the hotel with not only military uniforms but what they claim are jihadist videos, and new information suggests they also found laptops and satellite phones, which they say may have been provided to the group by the Venezuelan police, the newspaper reported.

The Venezuelan media said the men had appeared before the Anti-Terrorism Tribunal Court, but the Express newspaper said that the three Imams – Salam Abdul, Hamza Mohammad and Sheikh Hamid Hassan – are expected to be released either Monday or Tuesday next week and cleared of wrong-doing.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Winston Dookeran confirmed that the delegation would travel to Caracas for discussions aimed at resolving the matter.

The Trinidad Express had reported that the Venezuelan authorities  had seized military-style uniforms and Jihadist videos from the group and had also confiscated US$102,000 in cash and 66 passports that were in the possession of one of the three Imams who insist they were not connected to the group.

The Imams said they had arrived in Caracas to secure visas at the Saudi Arabian consulate for Trinidadians wishing to go to the Hajj pilgrimage.

Head of the Islamic Front in Trinidad, Umar Abullah, said his group has been urging the government to establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia so as to facilitate visa and travel requirements to the holy land.

“It would prevent incidents like this with Imams having to travel to Venezuela with huge amounts of money and people’s passports if we can establish a Saudi consulate here,” he said.

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/trinidad_tobago_news/1107375.html?utm_source=Caribbean360+Newsletters&utm_campaign=4247f89cf6-Vol_9_Issue_005_Sunday_News3_30_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_350247989a-4247f89cf6-39393477#ixzz2xYumIRBF