Kidnappers now want US$20,000 for missing fishermen

POLICE on Wednesday confirmed that US$20,000 is now being demanded for the safe release of three Icacos fishermen who were abducted at sea on Tuesday morning.

But Sgt Rishi Ramsaran told Newsday, reports that relatives of the men were robbed when they went to pay the initial ransom of US$10,000 were untrue.

“It was discovered that it is a hoax. But a family member reported that they received a telephone call that the captors increased the ransom from US$10,000 to US$20,000,” Ramsaran said.

Fishermen Ramkissoon Harricharan, 64; Keith “Carlo” Sneider, 61, and an unidentified Venezuelan, were kidnapped by Venezuelan pirates at gunpoint at about 7 am. Icacos fishermen told Newsday yesterday that Venezuelan sea pirates, are operating from Patos Island which is one of a few small Islands, meters off the Venezuelan mainland.

Councillor for Cedros, Shankar Teelucksingh, told Newsday, "Yes, I've heard of the report of families going across to Venezuela (on Wednesday) morning to pay the ransom and were themselves kidnapped and robbed. But, I'm yet to ascertain if they made a police report or if there is any truth in it.”

Icacos resident Baldath Samaroo, who declined to disclose who among the three is his relative, told Newsday that family members went across to the mainland (on Wednesday) morning to pay the ransom. "They were robbed, but we don't want to say much about that. These people tell we not to go to the police," Samaroo said.