OFFICERS of the Northern Homicide Division stationed at Arouca have come in for high praise from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) for solving the case of missing American war veteran Baliram “Balo” Maharaj, 62, whose dismembered body was found in a forested area in Santa Cruz last month -- nine moths after he was snatched from a bar in San Juan.

FBI agents, who were part of the investigative team that found Maharaj’s body chopped up and placed in two small containers and buried in two separate, two-feet graves in Santa Cruz, are expected to send a commendation to the United States Embassy, Port of Spain, Trinidad, to deliver to the Commissioner of Police for the officers’ tireless, round-the-clock work to crack the case, during a one week period after they made the first breakthrough, police sources say.

Seven FBI officers arrived in the country last month on a private jet from Miami, with more than 200 pounds of sophisticated crime detection equipment to assist local detectives to find the remains of Maharaj in the forest.

The breakthrough in the investigation came after a man responded to a US$10,000 reward by the FBI for information to find Maharaj.

Following the “tip off” police detained a former lover of Maharaj, and two men -- one from Mayaro and the other from Santa Cruz.

One of the suspects led homicide officers to the Santa Cruz forest where the body was reportedly buried.

But because of the limited equipment to carry out soil testing to find where the body was buried, police called in the FBI for assistance. The FBI was able to locate where Maharaj was buried.

An American dental expert also accompanied the FBI agents to try and identify Maharaj.

He was later identified from his army records and through a piece of steel inserted near his spine following an accident in the USA some years ago.

Maharaj, who was on vacation here, was snatched by three men at gunpoint from a bar at Aranguez last April.

His abductors demanded a $3 million ransom from his relatives but only $300,000 was paid.

Following the arrests and subsequent charges against three accused, officers continued their investigations and later arrested and charged six more people including three soldiers for their role in the kidnapping/murder of Maharaj.

Investigators believe that a ring was involved in the kidnapping of the former American soldier and are expected to make more arrests.

Leading investigations were Insp. John Abraham, Sgts. John Ramdeen and Jason Forde and Cpls. Eric Parks and Wendell Lucas.