Indian Navy Hands Over 35 Somalian Pirates Captured During Anti-Piracy Ops To Mumbai Police

Indian Navy has handed over the 35 Somalian pirates, captured during a 40-hour anti-piracy operation that was conducted last week in the Arabian Sea to Mumbai Police.

Indian Navy on Saturday handed over the 35 Somalian pirates nabbed during a 40-hour anti-piracy operation last week to Mumbai Police after due formalities of Customs and Immigrations. The Mumbai Police has confirmed that they will take the pirates into custody and register a case under relevant sections of the Arms Act, Maritime Anti Piracy Act, and Indian Penal Code.

In a rescue operation that was conducted on March 15-16, the Indian Navy successfully rescued Bulgaria's MV Ruen which had been missing since December last year. The operation was carried out by INS Kolkata which was deployed in the Arabian Sea. Additionally, INS Subhadra, HALE RPA, P8I maritime patrol aircraft, and MARCOS PRAHARs, who were air-dropped from the Indian Air Force's C-17 Globemaster.

The operation was undertaken as part of the ongoing Operation Sankalp, wherein Indian Navy ships are deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden to ensure safety of seafarers and mercantile trade passing through the region.

The Indian Navy successfully rescued the 17 crew members onboard and saved 37800 Tonnes of cargo worth $1 million. The rescued crew included nine citizens from Myanmar, seven Bulgarian nationals, and an Angolan citizen.   

INS Kolkata intercepted MV Ruen at 1400 nm(2600 km) from the Indian Coast after which it alerted INS Subahdra. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy chalked out a plan to prevent the pirates from escaping the region.

Even though the pirates shot down the drones and even fired at the Indian Naval warship, INS Kolkata managed to disable the ship's steering system and navigational aids, forcing the hijacked vessel to stop, the Indian Navy's statement read.

Thereafter, forceful negotiations were undertaken by INS Kolkata, leading the 35 Somalian pirates to surrender on March 16. The vessel was then sanitised for the presence of illegal arms, contraband, and ammunition.

Bulgarian President Thanked PM Modi

After the rescue of the hijacked ship MV Ruen, Rumen Radev expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it and lauded the Indian Navy for its "brave action." 

PM Modi responded to Ramdev stating that India was happy that it rescued seven Bulgarian nationals who will return back to their country safely. "India is committed to protecting the freedom of navigation and combating the piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region," he added.