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Guyanese in Berbice held for questioning about deadly piracy attack off Suriname’s coast

Last Updated on Friday, 4 May 2018, 10:39 by Denis Chabrol

Cherwin Lovell (De Ware Tijd photo)

As Guyanese police arrested a Berbician in connection with last week Friday’s piracy attack that has so far left 11 persons unaccounted for, one of the surviving fishermen has been recounting his experience at the hands of the merciless pirates who chopped and threw several of his colleagues overboard off the coast of Suriname.

Arrested was Nakool “Fire” Manohar, 38 of Joppa Stree # 43 Village.

Nakool Manohar

He is related Sinbad and Somnauth Manohar.

Police sources said Sinbad is also a person of interest.

Nakool’s brother Somnauth “Patar” Manohar ,who resided in Paramaribo, Suriname, was murdered along with one of his workmen  The two men were mending seins at Somnauth’ s residence on March 30 2018 when a vehicle pulled up and open fire at the two men resulting in the death of Somnauth, a captain of one of his boats.

A damaged outboard motor aboard one of the fishing boats that was attacked last week Friday off the coast of Suriname.

The Surinamese newspaper, De Ware Tijd, reported Cherwin Lovell as saying that “I had to swim for two days to reach land and almost gave up hope. I really do not know where the other men are. ”

He was one of the 16 fishermen missing since Friday, after a raid on four fishing boats. He has been in Suriname  since Thursday.

The 42-year-old man seems in reasonably good condition. He has suffered  injuries on both arms and on his left leg. “The robbers were merciless and cut us down,” he says. The crew was shaken by masked men around four o’clock on Saturday morning. “You come on deck, they commanded us and a shot was fired, and when we were on the deck they began to cut us down,” Lovell remembers the bad times. Then they had to shower their fishpeg in the boat of the robbers.
“When we were done they started to cut us down again, and I was going to kill them, I jumped overboard and the robbers wanted to go after me, but then another fisherman also jumped into the water and robbers then went behind him. I’ve swa m so fast and do not know what happened to the other men. ” Five crew members were on the boat. Lovell says he had to swim for two days to land.
In all, there 20 men aboard the four vessels that were attacked last week Friday.

The fishermen were chopped, beaten and thrown overboard.

Four persons survived the heinous attack and 16 were missing.  About five persons were recovered one of whom was unconscious.  One boat was also recovered with pools of blood.

The Manohar family said Nakool has not been at sea for more than 10 years and does not make contact with his brother. They added  that the feud was between a number of Brazilian fishermen who were transporting cocaine and Suriname fishermen.

The family further shared that police ranks would often raid their home and search for guns and ammunition adding that they applied for firearm license but were declined.

The Manohar family shared that Nakool has been supplying fish for more than five years to a man who resides at Mon Repos,  East Coast Demerara.

Nakool and that East Coast Demerara businessman had become rivals because Nakool has been exporting his own fish.

The family  believed that Nakool has been wrongfully arrested and it should be that East Coast Demerara businessman.