Island Pirates Captured
A gang of 28 Somali pirates, apprehended close to the Lakshadweep Islands off south-west India, will be handed over to Mumbai police to be prosecuted under Indian law.
Officials claim the pirates were caught in a joint anti-piracy operation by the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.
After a gun battle with the pirates, the ICG ship ‘Samar’ also rescued 24 fishermen held hostages by them in the hijacked fishing trawler Prantalaya-11.
The trawler, one among the Prantalay series which have been hijacked in the past few months, was used as the pirates’ mother vessel to carry out attacks on merchant ships in that area, using high speed skiffs.
The pirates were first taken to Kochi and will now face the Indian courts in Mumbai.
They are scheduled to be handed over to the Yellow Gate police station for investigations.
Meanwhile, 15 pirates who were brought here Jan 31 after capture in the same area, were sent to judicial custody by a Mumbai court.
They have been handed down charges of rioting, using weapons and attempt to murder on the high seas.
