Hi-tech equipment being used to locate bodies of missing fishermen

Jun 02, 2016 News

As the days continue to slip away, hopes of finding three missing fishermen who

Commander Amsterdam and other members of the Cops and Faith at Dhanpaul Ramphal’s residence.

were victims of last Friday’s pirate attack, are fading.

Yesterday, a search of the area where the men were reportedly thrown overboard came up empty handed despite the use of hi-tech equipment provided by authorities from neighbouring Suriname.
Kaieteur News understands that local police, who have five suspects in custody, took two of them out to sea where they pointed out the spot where the men were thrown overboard with anchors tied to their bodies.
“They used a seine and tried to recover the bodies but they did not pick up anything. We are getting full cooperation from Suriname though,” Police Divisional Commander, Ian Amsterdam told this newspaper. Authorities are expected to resume the search today.
Still missing are Dhanpaul Rampaul of No. 67 Village, Corentyne; Dochand Sukra, aka ‘Bucher”, 54, of No. 55 Village, Corentyne; and Munesh Churram, aka “Boyo”, 26, who were aboard the “Rosanna 664” captained by Seepersaud Persaud.
The captain miraculously managed to survive the ordeal while the body of another crew member, Hemchand Sukdeo, was pulled up in a fishing seine hours after the attack.
It was the captain who gave investigators a description of the pirate’s boat which led to their capture.
Kaieteur News understands that the suspects have identified one Ramchand Latchman, called Ramsingh, as the mastermind of the attack.
This newspaper understands that each of the five suspects has confessed their role in the attack.
Local police have secured permission to detain the suspects beyond the mandatory 72 hours detention period, which expired on Tuesday.
They will be seeking the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions with a view to instituting murder charges against the men in custody.
They are more than likely to face charges relating to Sukdeo’s murder.
A post mortem examination is expected to be performed on the body today.
Commander Amsterdam said that he is hoping that the three other bodies are recovered soon so that all the charges could be laid at once.
He along with some of his officers and members of the cops and faith organization visited the families of the victims on Tuesday.