Atleast 35 pirates who were apprehended in an operation off the coast of Somalia, were brought to Mumbai by Warship INS Kolkata on Saturday morning, the Indian Navy said. The pirates were handed over to the Mumbai police.
The exercise was undertaken as part of the ongoing Operation Sankalp, wherein Indian Navy ships are deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the safety of seafarers and mercantile trade passing through the region.
“INS Kolkata, with the 35 apprehended pirates, returned to Mumbai on March 23 and handed over the pirates to the local police for further legal action in accordance with Indian laws, specifically the Maritime Anti Piracy Act 2022,” the Navy said.
The operation, which lasted over 40 hours and began on March 15, saw INS Kolkata intercept Pirate Ship ex-MV Ruen in the Arabian Sea based on information from the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region, received via the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. INS Subhadra also joined in.
The ship was reportedly being utilized as a Mother Ship for piracy activities and hijackings of merchant vessels. INS Kolkata commenced shadowing the Pirate Ship on March 15, prompting the vessel to change course towards the Somali Coast upon spotting the warship. Several armed pirates were observed on the ship’s upper deck.
Despite directives from INS Kolkata to halt for investigation in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Conventions on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS), the pirate ship refused to comply and initiated gunfire.
“INS Kolkata thereafter acted in self-defence and used kinetic measures required to disable the ship and compel the pirates to surrender,” it said.
The 35 pirates and 17 crew members were apprehended and transferred to Indian Naval ships. Subsequently, the ship was thoroughly searched and sanitized for arms, ammunition, and contraband, and underwent essential repairs to ensure seaworthiness for further voyage.