Four Guyanese arrested in Suriname for piracy

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

An aerial view of a section of Suriname's capital, Paramaribo. — An aerial view of a section of Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo.

by Ivan Cairo

PARAMARIBO – Four Guyanese men have been arrested by the Suriname police on piracy charges, police here said Thursday.

While no specific date was given when they were arrested, indications are that they were arrested earlier this week.

The defendants were incarcerated by the criminal investigation’s department of Geyersvlijt the press office of the Suriname Police Force confirmed.

According to the police, the individuals with the initials B.M., D.V., M.R. and D.P were allegedly involved in a brazen attack on five fishermen in a fishing vessel near the coast of Coronie on November 12 last year.

The victims were robbed at gunpoint and subsequently ordered to jump overboard. Three of the victims managed to reach the shore but the other two presumably drowned. The alleged assailants are currently assisting with the investigations.

If there is enough evidence, the suspects could be held for another week before they are taken to court. There is no bail system in Suriname so this means that they could be held for another 30 days until the case is called before a judge.