Police said the mother of one of the teenagers, students of the Anna Regina Multilateral School, believes they may have gone to the country on Guyana's western border as the child's father is resident there.

Chelesea Jagdeo, 14, of Hampton Court; Mariel Williams, 17, of Queenstown; and Malinie Naipaul, 14, of Better Hope, all Essequibo villages, were seen on board a speedboat at Charity at about 18:00 hrs. on Monday, a Police release said.

It said that the girls "reportedly left for Venezuela by boat on Tuesday in (the) company (of) acquaintances from the Lower Pomeroon".

Other reports said they were seen heading north towards the Pomeroon River mouth; were at an abandoned house far down the river on Tuesday afternoon; and were forced into a boat by a group of men early Wednesday morning.

Charity Police said six ranks had been sent down the Pomeroon River to search and all Police Stations across the country have been alerted of the disappearance.

The girls left school, some 15 miles south of Charity, Monday morning before the first session was over.

Parents and close relatives yesterday searched along the banks of the Pomeroon River for the teenagers who reportedly took off their school uniforms and changed into jeans and T-shirts at Chelesea's home at Hampton Court before proceeding to Charity in a mini-bus.

Mariel's mother, Mrs. Norma Williams; Chelesea's mother, Mrs. Cameela Jagdeo; and a brother of Malinie's planned to travel to Venezuela today to make further checks.

Chelesea is of East Indian descent, about five feet, six inches tall, medium-built, has long black hair and fair complexion.

Mariel is of mixed race, about five feet, seven inches tall, medium built, has long black hair and fair complexion.

Malinie is of East Indian descent, about five feet, five inches tall, thin, has long black hair and light brown complexion.

Anna Regina Multilateral Headmaster, Mr. Parmeshwar Lall told the Chronicle that school records show that the girls were present for the morning session only.

He said none of the parents had visited the school to report the children missing and the institution had only been informed through news reports and a visit by the Police yesterday.

Lall said if a student is absent for about three to four days, teachers usually make enquiries from classmates, and after about a week, efforts are made to contact his/her parents.

Chelesea's mother, Cameela, said she visited the school on Monday morning to check on her daughter's academic performance and while leaving the compound around 10:00 hrs, saw Chelesea, Mariel and Malinie, also on their way out.

The mother said she asked her daughter where she was going and was told that they were going to collect some "things" at Hampton Court, about four miles away.

The girl said they needed the "things" to use at a modelling show scheduled for this weekend at the school.

Cameela said Chelesea lived with her grandmother at Hampton Court.

According to Cameela, Chelesea's grandmother was not at home on Monday and neighbours said they saw the girl and her two friends and that they had taken off their school uniforms and got dressed in jeans and T-shirts supplied by Chelesea. They subsequently joined a mini-bus to Charity.

Cameela recalled that at around 14:30 hrs. on Monday, her husband, Chelesea's step-father, saw the three taking a ride with a popular speedboat operator at Charity.

She said he was very upset when he saw Chelesea in the boat and immediately ordered her to get out and go home.

Cameela, who lives at Grant Hunter Delight, Upper Pomeroon, said the trio never visited her during Monday, and on Wednesday morning she was visited by Mariel's mother, Norma, who was enquiring about her daughter.

Cameela said it was then that she learnt that Chelesea was missing since Monday afternoon and she left immediately with Norma to look for the children at Charity.

They both made reports at the Charity Police Station.

Chelesea and Malinie are in Form Three and Mariel, who is in Form Five, was preparing to sit CXC exams shortly.

Norma said Mariel is a very quiet person who never likes to be away from home. She said her daughter never indicated that she was going to Charity that day and did not carry any clothing from their home.

The worried mother said she hired a speedboat on Wednesday at Charity and travelled many miles down the river in search of the girl and was told that she and her two friends were seen in a boat heading in a northerly direction towards the Pomeroon River mouth.

She said that Mariel is expected to write CXC examinations next month and she invested a lot of money in books and paid for extra lessons for her.

Norma said she was expecting Mariel to do well at her exams and find herself a good job. - (RAJENDRA PRABHULALL)