Three arrested in Guyana’s waters following alleged piracy attack  

Three persons suspected to be Venezuelan nationals were nabbed in Guyana’s waters by ranks of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard as they attempted to flee with a stolen fishing boat, engines and seine.

A statement from the Guyana Police Force noted that the arrest was a result of excellent collaboration between ranks of the GPF and GDF following information of a piracy attack in an area at Waini Point, North West District.

“They managed to capture the suspects in rough waters as they failed to flee towards the Venezuelan border with the boat and outboard engines they allegedly stole,” the statement noted.

See the full police statement below:

The alleged piracy attack occurred at around 01:45 hrs yesterday (2023/03/07) at Waini Point, North West District, with the suspects armed with guns, bows, and arrows.

Enquiries disclosed that on the date and time mentioned, two Guyanese fishermen were asleep on the vessel, which was moored at Waini Point, North West District. They alleged that they were awoken by three suspects, two pointing long guns at them. The suspects were all wearing flashlights on their foreheads.

The victims said the alleged ‘pirates’ spoke to them in a foreign language (believed to be Spanish). The suspects ordered them off the fibreglass boat, measuring about 20 feet in length, four feet in width, and about three feet in depth, and equipped with two Yamaha outboard engines (a 40 Hp and a 15 Hp)

The suspects then took control of the fishing boat (along with engines, seine, etc.) and fled toward the Venezuelan border. The two victims (a 24-year-old  and a teenager) managed to alert another nearby fishing vessel, which assisted them. The victims reported the matter to their boss, 36-year-old businessman Ravindra Singh, called ‘Bundo’, who owns the fishing boat.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Police at Morawhanna Police Station. As a result, Police and Coast Guard ranks swiftly proceeded to a notorious area on the water top called ‘Crab Dog’ area, where they observed and attempted to intercept the stolen fibreglass boat with the suspects inside.

When the suspects saw the Police and Coast Guard ranks approaching, they jumped overboard. However, the team apprehended them and later learned they were all Venezuelan nationals.

The boat and the suspects were escorted to a safe area out of the treacherous water where a search was conducted, and two single-barrel shotguns, one live 5.56 round of ammunition, two arrows and one bow were found hidden in the boat. The suspects are presently in custody, assisting with the ongoing investigation.