TWO of the four hunters hospitalised on the night of December 14 after allegedly being poisoned by drinking tainted coffee at a camp in the Cushe forest were expected to be discharged from hospital on December 16.

The update was provided by Hunters' Search and Rescue Team head Vallence Rambharat. He said the other two hunters remain hospitalised.

Nine hunters went about four miles into the forest on the night of December 14 and fell ill after drinking coffee which is stored at the camp around 7.30 pm.

They were extracted by relatives and taken to the Rio Claro Health Facility, where Vishnu Dipchand, 65, was pronounced dead shortly before midnight after efforts to resuscitate him failed. Four of the men were transferred to the Sangre Grande Hospital for further treatment. The other hunters were treated at Rio Claro and discharged.

Samples of the coffee, water and sugar were collected by the hunters' relatives who rescued them and handed over to the police.

Dipchand's daughter, who did not want to be named, said the autopsy, which had been carded for December 16, had been postponed by a day.

Speaking to Newsday after the incident, Rambharat said members of the Ecclesville, Rio Claro community near the forest, suspect the hunters may have been targeted because they were aware of illegal activities in the area.

Police are continuing investigations.

Rambharat said this was a serious incident that could have resulted in nine lives being lost.

"The authorities really have to pursue what really is the motive behind this and find the perpetrator. The person who did this, or persons – they're monsters."

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