Accused pirate released on bail

…after piracy attack in Essequibo River

One of the men who was arrested for attacking a cargo vessel on the Essequibo River was released on station bail as two of the victims are nursing chop wounds at the Suddie Public Hospital.
Deputy Police Commissioner and Crime Chief, Lyndon Alves on Monday confirmed that the incident took place on Thursday last, and is now in the hands of detectives in Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
“One of the victims was at my office this [Monday] morning. I had to engage the detective inspector at Anna Regina to look into the matter. So the police will be investigating that matter,” Alves told this newspaper.
He stated that presently, no one is in police custody, adding that the person who was initially arrested has been placed on station bail.
<<Guyana Times>> understands that the cargo vessel with a three-man crew came under attack at about 22:00h on Thursday last. The cargo vessel was said to be heading to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) from Parika, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) when the attack occurred.
Reports are that two of the crew members were hospitalised after being chopped about their bodies by the pirates.
At the time of the incident, one crew member managed to escape after he jumped into the Essequibo River where he waited out the attack on his co-workers.
He then managed to swim back to the vessel, where he found his co-workers badly wounded. The man subsequently called for assistance on a cellular phone.
The alleged pirates are also said to have carted off with an undisclosed sum of cash that was to be used to purchase fuel and supplies. Meanwhile, the two injured men are receiving treatment for the serious injuries they sustained from their attackers.