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Pirates target West Demerara sawmills, cart off $$millions in equipment

Jul 10, 2010 News

By Rustom Seegopaul

Most, if not all, of the sawmills operating along the West Bank Demerara have been repeatedly targeted by pirates since the beginning of this year.
They have all reported losses of millions of dollars in equipment.
Despite the frequency of the attacks and the reports made to the police, no arrests have yet been made and none of the stolen equipment recovered.
The sawmill owners reported that they had lost a variety of equipment, in a series of robberies, ranging from chainsaws, air compressors, generators, water pumps, batteries, plane blades and miscellaneous tools.
After each robbery, the saw millers said, subsequent reports were made to the police. “The police came and conducted their investigations,” said one of the sawmill owners, “but since then we have heard nothing concerning any arrests or any progress with the investigation.”
It is believed that all of the robberies are being carried out by one group of pirates since most of the sawmills have been reported to have been robbed on the same night.
Additionally, some of the sawmill owners have voiced the opinion that the pirates may be in league with some of the sawmill workers since they strike when some of the sawmills get new equipment.
The thieves gain access to the sawmills via the Demerara River, but in at least one incident the thieves came by road. The sawmills do not have fences along the banks of the river because that area needs to be clear so that logs, which are usually transported by river, can be easily off loaded.
This leaves the millers at a loss, since on one hand they need the river front clear to discharge logs, but the need for security is also necessary.
According to the sawmill owners, what frustrates them is the frequency with which their mills have been robbed. Most of the mills along the West Bank Demerara have been at least robbed three times.
The frequency with which the robberies have been happening and the distinctiveness of the items taken during each robbery have lead to the belief that the pirates acquire a market for the equipment before they steal it.
“These guys (pirates) are not just coming and stealing,” said one of the sawmill owners, “they know exactly what they are looking for and that is what they take.”
He added that the first time his sawmill was robbed, only a chainsaw was taken; the second time all of his tools were removed and finally a quantity of plane blades were carted off.
Such attacks have set many sawmill owners into expense, as they have to replace the stolen equipment if their sawmills are to function.
“A sawmill is made up of many tools apart from the saws. There are so many other tools and machines that are used.
It is hard and inefficient to try to run a sawmill without most of these tools; so when an item is stolen, it has to be replaced or else the work of the sawmill suffers,” said one of the sawmill owners.
Sources have said that at least one major sawmill that produces wood mainly for export has planned to stop operations by the end of this month, due to the losses suffered at the hands of the pirates.
The attacks have left many of the other sawmill owners with similar sentiments.

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