India is set to bring 35 Somali pirates to justice after capturing them aboard a hijacked ship off the coast of Somalia, said the navy source. This move represents a shift from previous practices, where pirates were typically disarmed and left at sea following vessel rescues.
The detained pirates are expected to reach India on Saturday and will be handed over to law enforcement authorities. The source, who preferred to remain anonymous as they lacked authorization to address the media, confirmed the transfer but did not specify the charges against the pirates.
Indian navy commandos successfully liberated the Malta-flagged commercial ship MV Ruen on Saturday. The vessel had been seized by Somali pirates approximately 450 nautical miles east of Socotra in the northern Arabian Sea on December 14.
This incident marked the first hijacking of a merchant ship by Somali pirates since 2017. At the height of their activities in 2011, Somali pirates caused an estimated $7 billion in damages to the global economy, including substantial ransom payments.
While India's navy previously prosecuted and incarcerated pirates involved in major attacks, recent months have seen a departure from this practice, with pirates being left at sea. The pirates from the Ruen incident will be the first to face prosecution in years, the official noted.
India has deployed around twelve warships in the Gulf of Aden and the northern Arabian Sea since December. This deployment allows India to aid vessels in the Red Sea region, where multiple countries' navies, including the United States, are working to secure shipping routes targeted by Yemen's Houthi militants.
The source stated that since the hijacking of the Ruen, the navy has maintained continuous surveillance in the area using aerial platforms and information gathered from other vessels under investigation.
On March 14, the Ruen was sighted off the Somali coast, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey. The navy revealed that the pirates had repurposed the Ruen as a mother-ship, using smaller boats to launch attacks on other vessels. The interception occurred on March 15, as confirmed in a navy statement released on Saturday.
Additionally, last week saw the hijacking of another merchant vessel, MV Abdullah, off the coast of Somalia, prompting Somali forces to plan joint actions with foreign navies.
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