A man, who planned to take police and coast guards in Berbice for ‘a ride’ for a second time was arrested around 11 pm on Tuesday after it was discovered that a report he made about a piracy attack was false.
Stabroek News understands that the man made the report at the Rose Hall Police Outpost that he along with a three-member crew was attacked and robbed around 4 pm. He said that he was rescued by another boat which was still moored at the Rose Hall foreshore while the crew was left to drift.
However, police became suspicious after they visited the foreshore immediately and discovered that the boat was nowhere in sight.
When questioned, the man admitted that the report was false. He said that he and his friends had been drinking and he “get vex and decide fuh make the report.”
He related that he left the Meadow Bank Wharf on October 29 onboard a fishing vessel with three crew members to go to Suriname.
He alleged that on his way back from Suriname a “blue and white boat” with four masked men, armed with guns and cutlasses pulled up alongside their boat and robbed them of a 48 hp Yamaha outboard engine valued $800,000.
One week ago the man who told police his name was Prahalad Persaud, aged 48, had made a similar report. In that instance he had visited the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam and said that he along with a three-member crew comprising; ‘John,’ ‘Santo’ and ‘Raymond’ of Line Path, Skeldon were attacked by gunmen who were in a blue and white boat.
He had said that they were robbed of a 48 hp outboard engine and a quantity of fish and fish glue. According to him he had gotten assistance through a small fishing boat which brought him to shore while the men had been left to drift.
After the report was made the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and the police launched a search in vain to locate the missing crew members. Charges are likely to be laid against the man today.
