By PAUL G TURNQUEST

Chief Reporter

pturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE families of three men are demanding answers from the police on the disappearance of their relatives who Bahamians were trying to smuggle into the United States by way of Grand Bahama.

Turkish nationals Huseyin Oskan 33, and 25-year-old Veysi Oral, with Jamaican national Howard “Wayne” Pryce, 45, were a part of a group of 19 persons that included 10 Dominicans, and six Jamaicans who each paid up to $6,000 to be smuggled into the US on March 9, 2012.

Jacqueline Pryce, the sister of Howard Pryce, who lives in California, told The Tribune yesterday that she last spoke with her brother on March 9, 2012 at 3pm.

During that conversation, Ms Price said her brother assured her that all was well, as he had paid a local contact in the Bahamas $6,000 for the voyage and would be leaving with a large group headed for Miami later that day. Howard supplied her with this contact’s name and number, so that she could contact him for further updates. When reached a few days later Ms Pryce said the contact told her that he believed the group had been intercepted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit (ICE) in the US. Continuing to pressure the Bahamian smuggler over the next two weeks as to her brother’s whereabouts, she said she was later told that the vessel had “sank”.

A similar tale was told to Turkish-Canadian resident Nayif Gumus who has been leading the charge for answers about his cousin, Oskan, and nephew Oral.

“He didn’t give me the name of the boat but he told me the name of the guy who he was dealing with,” Ms Pryce said. This name, and others connected with the case have been handed over to senior officers in Grand Bahama, who, according to the families, have done “nothing” with case.

“I don’t believe that the boat went down and they all drowned. I don’t believe (name omitted),” she added.

Mr Gumus, likewise not believing that his nephew and cousin had drowned, chartered an aircraft and flew over the area searching for wreckage and bodies. Neither was discovered.

In the 10 months that have passed since their disappearance, Mr Gumus has increased his search, even to the point of speaking with a number of the various locals reportedly involved in the smuggling operation. In the dozens of conversations that have been recorded and distributed to the police, one of the smugglers, whose name is being withheld at this time, repeatedly assured Mr Gumus that his relatives had not been murdered.

In one taped conversation that lasted over 35 minutes, The Tribune heard how the smuggler went into detail on the route the vessel would have taken, as he downplayed the possibility that anyone had been kidnapped for their “organs”. According to the smuggler, such a task would be difficult as special refrigeration was needed along with “documentation”.

“We understand that an accident could have happened and everyone could have drowned, but I hired a private detective and there was no evidence of a possible drowning – no wreckage, no oil slick from the boat – nothing. We have brought this to the attention of the Bahamian police who said they are investigating, but it appears like they are reluctant to help us. They tell us that they are ‘investigating’ and that they don’t have anything else further to tell us,” Ms Pryce added.

Yesterday Mr Gumus, along with Ramazan Oskan and Ihson Oral, the brothers of Oskan, and Oral who both travelled to the Bahamas from Turkey, said they will not give up until they find out the truth as to what happened.

“There are people here who know what happened to my nephew and my cousin. I believe they were kidnapped for their kidneys. We have tried to see the Commissioner of Police a number of times, but he would not meet with us. Up to today no one has been locked up, no one has gone to jail,” said Mr Gumus.

The Tribune contacted Superintendent Stephen Dean yesterday on this matter and the family’s attempts to meet with Commissioner Ellison Greenslade. Supt Dean made contact with officers from the Security and Intelligence Branch who in turn informed The Tribune that Assistant Commissioner Anthony Ferguson would be the person to speak to. ACP Ferguson confirmed that the police have an “ongoing” investigation into the matter, noting, however, that they have not made much progress thus far.

In tomorrow’s Tribune – official diplomatic requests for action between the Republic of Turkey and the Bahamas will be revealed along with receipts of payments made to the smugglers and telephone records.

All information revealed in this piece has already been shared with the relevant authorities.