Suspected Venezuelan pirates attack Guyanese fishermen

Last Updated on Saturday, 6 October 2018, 11:56 by Denis Chabrol

A Guyanese captain and crew were earlier this week ordered to jump overboard  and robbed of their fishing boat and items by pirates suspected to be Venezuelans.

Guyana Police Force sources said the incident occurred on Thursday, October 6, 2018 at about 3 PM in the vicinity of Crabdog, Waini River, on the Guyana side of the border with Venezuela.

Captain Julian Marks of Dartmouth Village, Essequibo Coast said he and his seven-member crew were attacked by six Spanish-speaking men who were armed with shotguns, rifles and pistols.

The pirates turned up in a balahoo fitted with a 75 horsepower outbosrd engine as the Guyanese fishermen were about to drop their seines.

After the Guyanese fishermen jumped out of their fishing boat, fitted with 40 horsepower outboard engine, the pirates seized the vessel with foodstuff and left in the direction of Venezuela leaving the men overboard.

Marks told Guyanese police that he and his crew members managed to exit the waters after the pirates cut a smaller boat that was tied to his fishing boat and left it to drift.

He said boat was retrieved and he and his crew used it to pull themselves to safety until they were rescued by a passing vessel.

Guyanese police have since visited the scene and took statements as part of an ongoing investigation.