Cop, three pirates dead

– missing fisherman found tied to tree

A shootout at Cromarty, Corentyne around 6.30 am yesterday has left a policeman and three pirates dead, while the partly mutilated body of a fisherman was discovered tied to a tree.

Travis Oslyn Glasgow

Detective Constable 18682 Travis Oslyn Glasgow of Fyrish Village, Corentyne was shot dead by the pirates, one of whom was identified as ex-soldier, James Gibson and another as Cliff Chichester of Mahaicony. The third pirate had not been identified up to press time last night.
The body of Hector Boodhoo, 57, a fisherman of Rose Hall Town, who had been missing since around 4 pm on Thursday, was found tied to a tree among some bushes at Port Mourant with cuts to his ear and the back of his head.
A piece of multi-coloured cloth was tied to his head.
After Boodhoo did not go home, relatives launched a search for him on Thursday night but came up empty-handed. They continued the search yesterday morning and came upon the body among the bushes.

Meanwhile, police had responded to a report that the pirates were spotted pulling in a boat, at the Cromarty foreshore, which they had hijacked from another fisherman, Bishan Motilall, on Thursday.

On seeing the police, the pirates opened fire hitting Glasgow and the police returned fire killing the three of them.
Glasgow, who was attached to the Whim Police Station, was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The police recovered two AK-47 rifles and one 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a quantity of ammunition including seven AK-47 magazines, 178 rounds 7.62 x 39 ammunition, fourteen 12-gauge cartridges and 28 rounds .30 ammunition, 17 round .40 ammunition, 6 rounds .45 ammunition, one round 9mm. ammo and an empty 12-gauge casing.

Clothing that the bandits had in a backpack.

One of the AK-47 rifles has been identified as being one of those stolen from the Guyana Defence Force. Police also recovered a backpack, which contained the men’s belongings including a quantity of marijuana, clothing, toothbrushes, cell phone chargers, two SIM cards, a few tennis rolls in a packet and a bottle of all purpose oil; presumably used to clean the guns.
Reports are that Motilall had just returned from sea with his catch and was about to tie up his boat at the Rose Hall foreshore when the heavily armed pirates pounced on him from among the bushes.

The pirates ordered him to empty the boat and he complied. They subsequently placed him along with his wife and daughter, who had gone to the shore to assist him, to lie face down on the beach.

At this stage, Boodhoo reportedly came upon the scene and the pirates grabbed him and took him with them. The men boarded the boat and headed upstream, but Motilall was not sure what became of Boodhoo.

James Gibson

Deeply traumatized, he and his family hurried out of the area. Along the shore they met four other persons, who said that “bandits” had tied them up earlier.    
Stabroek News understands that Boodhoo was aware that there was not much gas left in his tank and knew that it would not be enough to take the men very far. He was scouring the area with this in mind when he spotted the men pulling the boat in.
He immediately contacted his family and they in turn informed the police who responded promptly.
According to an eyewitness, who did not want to be named, said, “within minutes dem [the police] don deh hey”. He said the pirates were in a clump of bushes “behind them crudah trees”. The four policemen saw the pirates, who began running away from them. The police were then  taken to “wan short cut and then dem circle dem pirates in the bushes”. Cornered, the pirates began to fire shots at the police who responded.

Detective Glasgow, 25, of Lot 190 Fifth Street, Fyrish was killed in that shootout.

Doreen Glasgow (fourth from left) surrounded by relatives at her home yesterday. At front right is the dead officer’s son, Javis.

Doreen Glasgow, the grieving mother of the slain policeman, told Stabroek News that yesterday morning around eight o’clock, she received a telephone call from a police officer from the Whim Police Station who asked if ‘Glasgow lives there’.
She said she responded, “yes” and he went on to tell her, “‘Glasgow was shot this morning’, then he pause lil bit and say that he body deh at the mortuary”. She said she went and identified her son’s body, which bore a single gunshot wound to the lower abdomen.
Later on she spoke with the commander of ‘B’ division who told her that her son had been shot in the line of duty.
Doreen said her son joined the force since he was 18 years old; it was his first job.

This clump of mangroves was where the pirates were hiding when the police found them.

She last saw him on Thursday before he left for duty at Whim Police Station. She said he must have worked through the night because he did not go home at the end of his shift and she did not expect to receive such a call yesterday morning.
Glasgow has left behind a three-year-old son, Javis Akon Glasgow.

Police in a press release said Gibson was on bail on a charge of possession of firearm without licence before the court in Berbice. He was reportedly found with a firearm that was stolen from the Police Outpost at Rose Hall, Corentyne, which had been attacked by armed gunmen.
He was also later jointly charged with Oliver Hinckson, again over the possession of firearm without licence, and was also on bail in this matter which is before the Georgetown Magistrate’s  Court. He was not attending court in these matters and arrest warrants had been issued for him, according to the release.
Meanwhile, there are indications that the same pirates had hijacked another fishing vessel MV Mark Counter 2 with its five crew members, in the Mahaicony River on Wednesday.

The small boat the pirates hijacked which ran out of fuel.

The Coast Guard recovered the vessel around 10 am on Thursday at Number 19 Village, Corentyne with its fishing seines, catch, and engines all intact.
The crew, who were all packed into the boat used by the pirates and left at sea, drifted ashore and reported the matter to the Coast Guard at New Amsterdam. The five-member crew was unharmed.
A GDF release had said that some men were seen in a clump of bushes on the foreshore in the vicinity of where the vessel was recovered but vanished as the Coast Guard vessel approached. (Additional reporting by Adrian Smith)

The weapons and other items that the bandits had in their possession.