Two weeks after one of the most daring pirate attacks on the Berbice River, an official of the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard last week acknowledged that the army needs manpower, more vessels and more money to effectively fight against piracy.
Captain Lutchman Narine opined, however, that with the help of the Guyana Police Force in land operations, the joint forces could successfully curb this form of banditry. "We try as much as possible to keep on top, but we are limited in what we would like to do. The pirates are very smart...and most of their operations are land-based, which means that they steal on the water and bring the engines to land. So there has to be an intense collaboration between the police and the army," the army official told Stabroek News.
Since the April 14 river blitz, in which nine fishermen were attacked and robbed, Narine said the coast guard has beefed up its operations by conducting regular driftnet patrols. Used in these operations are the recently acquired patrol boats that the GDF Coast Guard secured from the United States. These vessels, Narine said, are being used "on a regular basis in driftnet exercises, search and rescue, harbour and anti-piracy."
He stated, however, that the coast guard "is not able to be on the spot every time these incidents occur." On April 14, two armed pirates attacked and robbed nine fishing boats in the Berbice River, carting off six engines and fuel tanks worth more than $2.5M. One of the complaints was the lack of prompt response from the GDF Coast Guard, which has a base at Number 63 Village on the Corentyne Coast. Narine admitted that the robbed fishermen of the Ancient County were not pleased, since they claimed that the coast guard is "always turning up late."
"We received the information 24 hours after the incident and before we could launch an operation, we had to seek clearance from the (GDF) headquarters. It was not until 48 hours after that the army coast guard sent a patrol to the area to do general law enforcement work and investigate the matter," Narine told Stabroek News. According to his report, only five engines were reported stolen.