Piracy: 1 dead, 6 missing

By SYLVESTER WEMURU
A 17-YEAR-OLD boy was found dead after he and eight other boat passengers were held up by pirates in the open sea at Pik Island, Madang, on Thursday.
Six of the passengers are still missing while a survivor is recovering in hospital.
Madang police commander Acting Superintendent Mazuc Rubiang said Pagis Labi, from Raicoast’s Yamis Village, was among eight passengers travelling to Raicoast on a boat when they were held up by pirates at Tabali Point.
Rubiang said six people were still missing while the boat skipper, who was floating in the open sea, swam ashore at Basamuk and was rescued by villagers.
“Police were contacted on Saturday and we went to Basamuk and helped the man to Modilon Hospital,” he said.
Rubiang said a mother and her six-month-old baby and four men were among the missing.
“They were held up by the pirates who were armed with offensive weapons,” he said.
“They wounded the skipper and took away the boat engine, leaving them afloat in the open sea.
“They were then separated by high tide.”
Rubiang said a search party had been arranged both in Madang and Saidor and were out in the sea looking for the six missing passengers.
“The lone survivor, when fully recovered, will help give the identity of the pirates for us to pursue our investigations,” he said.
“Currently, we are organising ourselves to search for the missing boat passengers with the help of villagers and relatives of the missing people.
“I am very sorry for what had happened because the people of Raicoast were victims of sea pirates for a long time.
“I want the people of Madang to help the police with the information on the whereabouts of the pirates so we can arrest and charge them.”
Rubiang said victims of pirates should report to the police to help capture them and end the piracy terror.
He said the water police in Madang also needed support from the leaders in the province so that police could respond swiftly.
He said police response on Thursday was late because they had to look for fuel before going out to sea.
However, Rubiang said the pursuit had to stop because police ran out of fuel and it was raining heavily.