Mumbai police take custody of 35 Somali pirates arrested by Indian navy off Somalia's coast

284 Shares

FacebookFacebook messengerTwitterWhatsAppLinkedInTelegramEmail

Saturday March 23, 2024

The pirates were handed over to the Mumbai police. (Photo: ANI/Screengrab)

Mogadishu (HOL) —The Indian Navy has transported at least 35 Somali pirates, apprehended off the coast of Somalia, to Mumbai aboard the warship INS Kolkata, officials announced on Saturday. Upon arrival, the captured individuals were handed over to Mumbai police.

advertisements

The pirates were arrested during a strategic interception of the hijacked Malta-flagged cargo ship MV Ruen, which pirates repurposed as a mother ship for launching further attacks. According to the Indian Navy, the pirates engaged their warship with gunfire. The navy responded, neutralizing the threat and ensuring the pirates' capture after a 40-hour standoff.

The operation began on March 15, when INS Kolkata, guided by intelligence from the UK Maritime Trade Operations and the Indian Navy's Information Fusion Centre, tracked and intercepted the pirate vessel, formerly known as MV Ruen.

The mission is part of Operation Sankalp and comes amid a heightened focus on maritime security, with Indian naval forces deployed in strategic waterways since December to counter threats from pirates and Houthi militants disrupting shipping routes in the Red Sea.

With piracy incidents off the Somali coast on the rise, the international community, including regional governments and the UN's International Maritime Organization, has called for enhanced maritime security measures to deter further attacks.

Although the Puntland regional government has expressed interest in deporting the captured pirates for local prosecution, it does not appear that this will be likely now that the Somali suspects have been transported to India for prosecution.

Following their capture, the suspected pirates now face legal proceedings under India's 2022 Maritime Anti-Piracy Act

Home
Email

Hiiraan Online