A US$10,000 ransom has reportedly been demanded for the release of four fishermen who disappeared off the coast of Icacos, Cedros, six days ago.

Two of the men have been identified as Danny Edwards, 22, and Junior John-Williams, 27. The others remained unidentified up to late yesterday.

The four men boarded a 27-foot pirogue named Ronnie and set sail around 4 p.m. There were two high-powered engines and four containers of diesel on board the vessel. The quantity of diesel was enough to take them to Colombia and back, police said.

John-Williams, father of a three-year-old son, and Edwards live at Beach Road, Icacos. The others live in La Brea. Their relatives believe the men have fallen victims to pirates and were being held captive in one of the lawless coastal villages in Venezuela.

Boat owner, Ragoonanan Bhola, said: ’We do night fishing and they went out around 4 p.m. to fish. But when they did not come back on Monday morning I became worried. Two weeks ago we were fishing out at sea and some bandits run us. We had to return to land. I feel they were taken by bandits,’ he said.

Bhola said the four men were seen inside the vessel when it set sail.

’But I don’t know the other two. I thought it was the men’s family going for a ride on the boat,’ he said.

Alfred John-Williams said his son contacted him three nights ago.

’He called and said that they were being held in Venezuela and that the men are demanding US$10,000 for their release. I did not get anymore calls, so I don’t know what is going on. But I feel they are still alive,’ he said.

Sasha Edwards also said her brother had not contacted them.

’We are hearing from other people that Junior contacted his father and demanded money, but we don’t know anything about that. They may have been kidnapped, but I don’t know what happened,’ she said.

Edwards said her mother, Vena, had fallen sick since her son’s disappearance.

Investigators questioned several people as they searched for clues yesterday. The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard have also been searching for the missing men. But up to late yesterday they were not found.

In December 2008, off the coast of Erin, pirates moved in on a local vessel. The vessel was boarded, taken to Venezuelan waters and the men told they would have to get US$20,000 to get home. The locals told the Venezuelans that the trawler owner was back in Trinidad and would give them the cash.