66-Y-O Bartica Captain Among Two Abducted by Syndicato Gang

August 27 2025

The family of 66-year-old boat captain, Fredrick Pollard, also known as Freddie Ghanie, of Second Avenue, Bartica, is grappling with anguish and uncertainty after he was reportedly abducted by members of a Venezuelan Syndicato gang in the volatile Cuyuni River region.

Pollard, who had spent decades navigating Guyana’s interior waterways, was last in contact with his relatives on August 24, 2025.

According to reports, that morning, he phoned his son, Dameon Williams, to say he was leaving Ekereku Backdam with a male porter aboard, bound for Devil Hole Landing.

It was the last time his family heard his voice.

Hours later, Williams received a chilling call from an unknown source, claiming his father had been seized at gunpoint by the heavily armed Syndicato gang while traveling near Botanamu Creek — a lawless stretch of river where Venezuelan criminals are known to operate with impunity.

The fear deepened when another boat captain, who himself had been ambushed by the gang, confirmed seeing Pollard alive.

Alongside nine passengers, the man recounted being forced at gunpoint into a creek, where he recognized Pollard and another unidentified Guyanese male in captivity.

Before releasing them, the gang reportedly stole a drum of fuel — a reminder of the ruthless control they exert over the area.

Pollard’s abduction underscores both the personal heartbreak faced by his family and the constant peril that Syndicato gangs pose along Guyana’s borders.

For residents of Bartica and the wider Region Seven, where many rely on river transport for their livelihood, the kidnapping has reignited fears of escalating violence and insecurity.

Authorities have yet to confirm the identity of the second abducted man, and investigations remain ongoing. Meanwhile, Pollard’s loved ones can only wait in anguish, clinging to hope for his safe return as the shadow of the Syndicato looms over their lives.