Fishermen on three boats were on Wednesday afternoon robbed of engines, gasoline tanks, batteries and cell phones near the Essequibo River island of Leguan by a gang of three men.
Krishnadat ‘Kaitie’ Misir, who operates on his vessel ‘Mala’, told Stabroek News last evening at Zeelugt, West Demerara that it was around 5:30 pm when he and his workman were confronted by the men who were armed with cutlasses. “Meh been pon sea working and a blue speed boat pull up longside we with three man and they tell we lie down on we face,” he relayed.
According to Misir, two of the men, who were also masked, hopped over to their boat and took their 15 HP Yamaha engine worth $520,000, their battery worth $23,000 and their gasoline tank. “Then they ask we fuh we cellphone and they pick up me bag… it had lil money. I aint sure how much… is almost $700,000 we lose,” he stated.
The man said that after six years of operating at sea, this is the first time he has been attacked and robbed and noted that it will be difficult to make another investment. “I might go cut cane or something…” Misir told this newspaper.
At the Leguan Police Station, he said police took statements and as far as he was told, no one was found in connection with the piracy. Leguan has been seen as a hotspot for pirates to hide out and launch attacks from.
Stabroek News also spoke to one individual from the second boat, Vickey Singh, who said that his attackers came around the same time. “They pull up in the speed boat and one of the man come over pon we boat and give me like six lash with the cutlass… The other man get like two lash,” he said.
When asked if they had put up resistance, Singh responded in the negative. “They been beating we fuh we tek off the engine more quick,” he explained.
He added that the name of the blue boat was covered and they were prevented from looking at it carefully. “As soon as they pull up, they tell we fuh look down… then they put we fuh lie down and every time we look up they lashing we,” he recalled.
The man said that they had not seen any guns. “It happen so quick… they gone with the engine (25 HP engine), the gas, the battery, we cell phone, lights, all kinda thing,” he said. Singh pointed out that his engine was worth $700,000 while the battery was valued at about $20,000.
He said that they were approximately half mile away from Leguan and managed to get there a short while after the attack.
He noted that his father, who is the owner of the boat, will visit the Leonora Police Station today to make a separate report and to follow up on the progress of the investigation.
The men were said to have left on Wednesday around 10:00 hours for sea and were expected to return home yesterday around the same time as this is the usual routine.
Both vessels collect shrimp. Stabroek News was unable to contact persons on the third boat.
Fishermen up and down the coast of Guyana have been at the mercy of pirates over the last decade.
