-suspect held
Police have arrested a man who is believed to have been involved in high seas piracy on fishermen in the Corentyne River on Monday night in which Yamaha outboard engines, gasoline and other items were stolen.
Chairman of the Number 66 Fish Port Complex, Pravinchandra Deodat told Stabroek News that he believed that four boats were robbed that night. He is pleased that the complex is having full co-operation from the police.
Three of the boats, he said, belong to members of his complex but only one of those has been accounted for so far. Deodat was part of a team that went out in search of the other boats up to late yesterday afternoon but they came back empty-handed.
Police sources told this newspaper that the other robbery took place two miles away from the shores of Number 43 Village around 6.45 pm.
Reports are that the pirates, armed with a handgun and a piece of wood, pulled up alongside the boat with the captain and two crew members and discharged a round.
They then ordered the men to hand over the engine, while hitting one of them on his back with the wood in the process. They also escaped with a large battery, three drums of mixed oil and a Motorola cellular phone.
The captain and crew were left to drift until they finally made it safely to shore and reported the matter.
The owner of another boat who did not wish to be named told Stabroek News last evening that the pirates attacked his captain and three crew members around 10 pm on Monday. He said he only learnt of the incident around 2 pm yesterday after his crew came in to shore.
He said the pirates beat his workers and stripped his boat of the engine, a gas bottle, gasoline, a stove and a quantity of grocery. His crew was left to drift and it was not until they were close to the complex that another boat assisted in pulling them in.
One of the crew members, Ajai who was wet and in pain from the beating told this newspaper last evening that the pirates demanded that they place the engine in their boat. After that they ordered them to lie face down and “if we raise we head was more lash fuh we…”
Reports are that the workers noticed two other engines in the pirates’
boat, suggesting that the two other boats had already been hijacked.
Meanwhile Deodat who is also the chairman of the Anti-Piracy Committee appealed to persons to come forward with information they may have with regards to piracy so more arrests can be made.
He promised that a monetary reward would be given and that the information would be treated in strict confidence. The chairman said it is suspected that persons from the Corentyne area are carrying out the acts and said they need support from the general public to bring the situation under control.
Piracy has plagued Corentyne fishermen in recent years.