-recovers two hijacked vessels

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard, after recovering two hijacked Guyanese fishing vessels, yesterday exchanged gunfire with a speedboat which retreated in the direction of Venezuela.

In a press statement issued yesterday, the army said coast guards were towing the two fishing vessels to Morawhanna when “a speedboat was observed to be approaching from Venezuela”. The coast guards, according to the release, attempted to intercept the speedboat and were fired upon by its occupants.

The GDF ranks “returned fire while pursuing the speedboat which beat a hasty retreat in the direction of Venezuela.” No injury was reported, the army said, and more details will be made available shortly.

The GDF Coast Guard launched a patrol immediately after receiving a report from the Commander of ‘E’ & ‘F’ Division that two fishing boats had been hijacked off the Waini Point, North West District on Tuesday. Searches in the Waini Point area, the army said, which lasted from Tuesday to midnight were futile. The search was resumed yesterday morning and the vessels were discovered drifting in the vicinity of Shell Beach with their occupants aboard.

It was while returning with the hijacked vessels that the coast guards were fired upon.