Seized “Mother Ship” Returned
Royal Navy hands fishing boat to Yemen authorities in counter-piracy operation.
The Royal Navy handed over a pirated fishing vessel to the Yemen authorities today as part of its counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean.
By Holly Watt, The Telegraph, on board RFA Fort Victoria
An elite team of Royal Marines stormed the fishing vessel on Friday, seizing it back from a gang of suspected Somali pirates.
The pirates are believed to have stolen the fishing vessel in order to use it as a platform for launching hijack attempts on cargo ships and tankers in the Gulf of Aden.
The return of the fishing vessel – known as a dhow – is part of the NATO crackdown on piracy in the seas around Somalia.
Captain Gerry Northwood, who is heading the counter-piracy operation on board RFA Fort Victoria, said that he was pleased to return the dhow to her Yemeni owner.
“This was a good example of Royal Navy and the Yemeni Navy working together for the common good of the local maritime community,” he said. “I was pleased that we were able to return the dhow to its rightful owner. It is important that through our cooperation with the Yemeni Navy, we reassure the local maritime community that we are able to………….[access full article]
