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 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.
