–might have been behind earlier attacks
The six Guyanese held in Suriname over high seas piracy are likely to face several charges in the former Dutch Colony; authorities are conducting further investigations to determine whether they were behind a series of armed attacks during the past month.
Security officials in Suriname on Sunday detained the Guyanese on claims that they were committing acts of piracy in that country’s waters.
Stabroek News was told yesterday that the men were being investigated in connection with a series of attacks on fishermen in Suriname over the past month and could face several charges including possession of arms, armed robberies and illegal entry. According to reports out of Paramaribo, the Guyanese would likely be sentenced in Suriname and later deported.
On Monday, Stabroek News was told that fishermen operating in the Coppename River in Suriname said they had been attacked and had their boats seized. They said at least ten boats were hijacked and fuel, food and other valuables taken from them.
Law enforcement officials, who said they were able to release some of the captured fishermen, acknowledged that the authorities had been receiving complaints of robberies for quite some time. “We were aware of the ongoing piracy in our waters and the information we were receiving from the coastal areas raised serious concerns,” a senior police officer in Suriname told reporters there, while denying allegations that the authorities had turned a blind eye to the acts of piracy which were mostly occurring in the Coppename and Mapane areas.
“It is not easy for the fishermen to do their job, since they had to be mindful of possible attacks.”
The Surinamese government recently said it was considering issuing firearms to fishermen to help them protect themselves against the violent attacks of pirates.
Guyanese authorities have so far resisted arming fisher folk, fearing that there could be serious confrontations on the high seas.
However, it was announced on Monday that government has provided the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard with $15 million to set up a state-of-the-art communication system, which is being piloted in Berbice and should come on stream in two weeks. Fishermen will have to purchase radios at a cost of US$300, and will wear wristwatches equipped with GPS.
This is not the first time Guyanese sea bandits have been caught in Suriname carrying out such acts. Both the Guyana and Suriname governments have noted in the past the collaboration by sea bandits from the two countries.
A number of Guyanese fishermen recently went missing while out in their boats. Authorities here have confirmed that a number of the pirates operating in the Corentyne fishing zone are from Suriname.
The Ministry of Agriculture late last year had indicated that it was preparing a proposal to take to Surinamese on the establishment of a mechanism of cooperation to counter piracy activities in the eastern waters of Guyana. It is not clear whether that proposal was completed.
Earlier last year government had promised legislation making piracy a non-bailable offence with sentences equal to murder.
