Piracy Incident on Yacht Near Rio Naya, Colombia Results in 1 Dead, 1 Missing, 1 Injured

January 20: On Monday, an unspecified number of “heavily armed” persons reportedly boarded a yacht near the mouth of the Naya River on the border between Buenaventura and Cauca in Colombia, which was headed to López de Micay.

The armed persons reportedly robbed the three passengers onboard and then fired indiscriminately at them. One passenger has been confirmed killed, one thrown overboard and missing, and one injured.

The assailants then reportedly escaped on a small craft, with unconfirmed reporting that they also stole the yacht.

According to local reports, fear of piracy has increased in the region. “The bands that rob us every day are dissidents of paramilitary groups that stayed on the Pacific coast and now live off the assault on boats,” Manuel Bedoya, president of the National Association of Artisanal Fishermen (ANPAC), told EL TIEMPO. The modus operandi is often that criminals present themselves as fishermen to other fishermen during the day, and then steal their catches and engine.

Source: El Tiempo via Maritime Herald