1 suspects arrested over deadly pirate attacN

Justice and Police Minister Stuart Getrouw on Monday announced that the police have reportedly arrested 13 suspects over the deadly attack on 4 fishing boats on April 27.

The minister pointed out that the suspects were arrested on land and at sea on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He also pointed out that he could not divulge any details pending the ongoing investigation. “I also will not say which role the fishermen played in the arrests of the suspects. I will not do that because I am taking their safety into account. The Guyanese authorities are also sharing information to help with the investigation”, said Minister Getrouw. The investigation is aimed at determining what exactly happened at sea on April 27. Three bodies have been recovered and five fishermen have officially survived the deadly attack. Twelve fishermen are still missing. Reports indicate that another fishing boat was attacked on Wednesday. The captain of that fishing boat is reportedly still missing. Four fishermen who survived Wednesday’s attack claimed that the captain was kidnapped by the pirates. Minister Getrouw pointed out that the deadly attacks must determine if there is a feud between the various groups of fishermen. The minister confirmed that investigators say that it is suspected that there are other motives behind the attacks but he urged the nation to be patient a while longer so that the police can do their job. The police will announce the results of their investigation once they have concluded their investigation. The Surinamese authorities are reportedly working closely with neighboring Guyana. The Guyanese Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, applauded the manner in which the Surinamese government is handling this case.

Minister Ramjattan recenty met with Surinamese authorities to plead for increased communication between them and relatives of the fishermen who went missing following recent pirate attacks, among other requests.