Mumbai Police gear up to arrest 35 Somalian pirates

MARCOS during the sea operation to seize control of the pirated ship

All 35 Somalian pirates apprehended by the Indian Navy's Marine Commandos during the operation to rescue the hijacked vessel MV Ruen at sea are scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on Saturday. Following the successful sea operation, the Marine Commandos are transporting the pirates via sea route to Mumbai, where the city police have arranged tight security measures to assume custody from the Indian Navy at Yellow Gate.

The Marine Commandos managed to release the Malta-flagged commercial ship MV Ruen on Saturday, which had been hijacked 450 nautical miles east of Socotra in the northern Arabian Sea by Somali pirates on December 14.

Authorities plan to initiate legal proceedings against the pirates, citing various statutes including the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act of 2022, reflecting a concerted effort to tackle piracy in Indian waters. The entire staff of the Yellow Gate police station, comprising 40 police constables and over 10 police officials, along with additional reinforcements of 13 police officers and 80 constables, will be deployed at the location, supported by four police vans.

"The MARCOS are a well-trained specialised wing of the Indian Navy. They have made us proud by showcasing their prowess by arresting the Somali pirates who are being brought to Mumbai. They (pirates) will be taken into custody and the Yellow Gate police will register a case against them. We will make a watertight case against them," said a senior officer.

Police sources said, "A case will be registered against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and Sections of the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022. Considering the gravity of the case more sections may be added."

The accused pirates will be kept in the lockup and will be produced in court mostly on Sunday.

"They will be kept amidst high security for which we have made all arrangements. Later they will be produced in the court on Sunday," said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

A similar case was registered by Mumbai police at Yellow Gate in 2011 when around 27 pirates were captured. In 2017, the court convicted them and they were imprisoned for seven years. But now as the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act is invoked, the cops are hopeful of securing their conviction for more than seven years.

Maritime sources told mid-day, "The pirates have become more skilful these days and have been using assault weapons to hijack ships on high seas. Earlier the pirates would chase the ships on small boats called a dingy. After coming closer to the vessel, the pirates would use ladders and assault weapons to climb atop. The ships are equipped with onboard security forces and high-pressure downward water jets. The onboard maritime forces would create high-frequency sound waves to repel the dingy carrying Somali pirates."

"Since the Somali pirates would hardly succeed in their nefarious act, they have now upgraded their skills to hijack the ships on high seas. The pirates now are well-trained and are skilled to jump from helicopters using parachutes while carrying assault weapons," said the source.

"Previously these Somali pirates were scared after warning shots from the vessels were fired by the maritime security forces. But, now, these Somali pirates carry advanced electronic equipment, and they conduct advanced levels of attacks through drones and missiles," the source said.

"After targeting the ships, they jump on it, take full control of the ship and switch off the Automatic Identification System (AIS). Hence, the digital positioning of the vessel is not located. They then use the hijacked vessel to target another ship by inching closer to it on the high sea," the source added.

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No. of police personnel to be deployed