The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

TWO years, two months and one week have passed since two Turkish nationals went missing in a botched human smuggling operation into the United States and their relatives are criticising authorities who have been unable to crack the case.

In a bizarre twist, Nayif Gumus, the uncle and cousin of the men, said a woman who is not known to his family has several times answered the cellphone of his nephew Veysi Oral. He and Huseyin Oskan were both working illegally in Grand Bahama before they attempted to enter the US.

Mr Gumus yesterday gave The Tribune phone records to prove that as recently as last Christmas Day, he called Veysi’s mobile phone. It shows three phone calls – the first on December 22, 2013 which lasted for one minute and 57 seconds. Later that same day another call was placed of two minutes and two seconds. The final call was made on December 25 lasting four minutes and four seconds. Calls were made to the phone by The Tribune yesterday, but went unanswered.

As it stands, relatives of both men – who reside in Turkey and Canada – are continuing to offer a $100,000 reward for information that leads to finding the men.

“I have been to the Bahamas 14 times to find them,” Mr Gumus said, “and I have already spent $100,00 on travelling here, a lawyer and living accommodations and I will continue to spend money. Money is not an issue for my family and I. We just want to know what happened to them and where they are.

“My relatives in Turkey continue to pay my nephew’s phone bill because we have hope and we believe that the holder of the cellphone might have some information to get us further in this case. We believe that the woman is Bahamian.

“With all that we already know I don’t know why the police in the Bahamas aren’t helping us. It doesn’t look like this is a priority because they aren’t doing anything.”

Mr Gumus said he was told by Assistant Commissioner of Crime Anthony Ferguson that investigations were still ongoing. Attempts to reach Mr Ferguson were unsuccessful up to press time.

“It just doesn’t make sense that after all this time, no one here seems to know what happened. Why can’t the police track people down here and in Grand Bahama. I have come from Canada many times about this and have been able to learn quite a bit. So it just doesn’t make sense.”

Last year, a US Coast Guard in an email to Mr Gumus confirmed the discovery of a wallet with Huseyin’s identification 26 miles off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida.

Reportedly, the men were encouraged to make the trip by a local businessman in Grand Bahama who said they would make “more money” if they were in the US.