‘9 pirates being brought to India:’ Navy after rescuing Iranian fishing vessel | India News

NEW DELHI: Indian Navy on Saturday said that 9 pirates who surrendered following the Navy’s rescue operation on an Iranian fishing vessel are being brought to India for further legal action under the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022.
According to a statement from the Navy’s spokesperson, the crew which consisted of 23-Pakistani nationals were given a medical checkup and that specialist teams had ‘completed sanitisation & seaworthiness checks of FV Al-Kambar.’

“The crew, comprising 23 Pakistani nationals, were given a thorough medical checkup prior to clearing the boat to continue with her fishing activities,” it said.

The Navy on Friday had intercepted and successfully rescued the hijacked Iranian fishing vessel Al-Kambar 786 along with its 23-member Pakistani crew.
After receiving inputs about the hijacking, the Navy redirected patrol vessel INS Sumedha to intercept Al-Kambar early on Friday. Later, INS Trishul also joined the operation to secure the maritime area.

“The nine armed pirates, who had boarded the fishing vessel around 90 nautical miles south-west of Socotra late on Thursday evening, were forced to surrender after more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures,” an officer said.

At the time of the incident, the fishing vessel was roughly 90 nautical miles southwest of Socotra and was “reported to have been boarded by nine armed pirates,” the Navy had said.
The Navy also announced its commitment to ensuring maritime security in the region and safety of seafarers, “irrespective of the nationalities”.
Admiral R. Hari Kumar, Navy chief Admiral, had earlier said that, India being the largest resident naval force in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), will keep fighting piracy and drone threats to keep the area safe and stable.
Earlier in March the Indian Navy had also brought 35 Somali pirates to Mumbai aboard the warship INS Kolkata, days after they were captured by the Indian forces, who freed a hijacked bulk carrier and rescued several hostages.

The rescue saw marine commandos being para-dropped from a C-17 aircraft and exchanges of gunfire to rescue the hijacked merchant vessel MV Ruen and its 17-member crew in the major operation on the high seas.
(With inputs from agencies)