Pirates unleashed terror last week in the Waini and Pomeroon rivers, beating and robbing two groups of fishermen of a quantity of gasoline, groceries and engine lead, and also hijacking one boat.
The bandits while beating their victims also threatened to kill them during the two attacks, which occurred on Wednesday and Saturday last.
According to a statement from the police, around 5 pm on Wednesday six bandits armed with guns robbed a fishing crew in the Atlantic Ocean, seven miles off the Waini River.
The police said that Beany Mohamed, 48, of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara and his crew were fishing when robbers drove up in another boat propelled by two outboard engines, fired a shot and boarded it. The bandits then ordered the crew to lie face down and robbed them of 200 gallons of gasoline stored in four drums, a quantity of ration, one engine lead, one flash lamp and five yellow coats. During the process, the bandits assaulted the crew and then they drove away. Some time later, the crew was rescued by another vessel, the police said.
Then on Saturday around 9.30 pm another four armed bandits robbed Hamsram Powletram and his crew in the Atlantic Ocean. Powletram and his five-man crew were in their vessel Direction fishing about seven miles off the Pomeroon River mouth. The bandits who were in another boat, fired two shots, boarded Direction and ordered the crew into the cabin. They then drove the boat to Liberty Island, Essequibo where the crew was ordered to disembark and the bandits fired two more shots and hijacked the boat.
Apart from the boat the robbers escaped with one 48HP Yamaha outboard engine, 1,500lbs of 5″ seine, three 45-gallon drums of gasoline and the men’s catch.
Police said investigations are continuing in both of these incidents.
It was only recently a group of fishermen met Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee and protested the lack of security while plying their trade. The men claimed the authorities were not concerned about their well-being and threatened to leave the fishing industry if the robberies continued. Rohee in return promised stepped-up security while calling on the fishermen to be more vigilant.
