Police intercepted a boat yesterday with five crew members at Eversham, Corentyne after fishermen recognized that it had been used to carry out a piracy attack on them earlier this month.
The crew members are being held at the police stations at No 51 Village and Springlands. The grey-coloured boat which was equipped with fishing gear is being held at the No 66 Fisheries wharf.
Members of the fisheries complex told Stabroek News that a radio belonging to a fisherman who was robbed was found in the suspicious boat. Police have also recovered a small quantity of marijuana.
They said fishermen spotted the boat which had apparently encountered problems, on the shore on Saturday night.
Early yesterday morning they contacted members of the Berbice Anti-Piracy Committee (BAPC) and the fisheries. The members subsequently brought the police to the scene.
Police took three of the men into custody while the captain and a crew member, accompanied by a policeman took the boat to the wharf. Members of the fisheries and BAPC followed in another boat.
Reports are that during the journey the suspected pirates tried to resist being taken to the wharf. This prompted members of BAPC to contact the coast guard at the No 66 Impact Base for back-up. They were disappointed that the ranks responded that they could not come because “they had to get instructions from Georgetown.” The members said “the coast guards shouldn’t be here if they cannot make decisions for themselves…”
They said too that while the suspected pirates were being taken to the station they threatened the fishermen that they “would deal with them when they get out back.”
The fishermen called on the government to take serious action to bring an end to piracy. They also accused the government of “only looking after the rice farmers.”
