Pirates raid fishing boat

A four-member fishing crew was attacked by armed men yesterday in the Atlantic Ocean, some 50 miles off New Amsterdam and were robbed of their outboard engine and a quantity of fish and fish glue.
Efforts are being made with the help of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard to locate three members of the crew who are missing.

Police in a release said that ranks are investigating a report of robbery under arms that occurred around 8 am during which the fishing crew was attacked and robbed by four masked men, armed with firearms and a cutlass.

Investigations have so far revealed that the captain of the fishing vessel Prahalad Persaud, 48 years, along with a three-member crew comprising ‘John’, ’Santo’, and ‘Raymond’, all of Line Path, Skeldon, were in their boat which was moored at the time, when another vessel with the armed men came up alongside.

According to the release, the armed men held up the fishing crew and took away their 48 hp outboard engine along with a quantity of fish and fish glue and escaped, leaving the victims drifting in their boat. Persaud was struck about his body with the cutlass during the incident.

Persaud later managed to get assistance through a small fishing boat which brought him ashore and he reported the matter to the police.

Up to the time of this release, which was just before 9 pm, efforts were being made by the police with assistance from the GDF Coastguard to locate the other three crew members.