The Indian Navy and Coastguard captured a group of 28 pirates after a failed hijacking last Thursday, just days after another band of 15 pirates, who had been terrorising shipping for months, had been arrested.
Officers said the 28 pirates had surrendered 185km off Kavaratti, in Lakshadweep, in the early hours of 6 February after warning shots were fired at the group.
The pirates had attempted to hijack the Greek-flagged cargoship Chios. A Southern Naval Command Dornier aircraft spotted the skiffs used in the attack along with a mothervessel on Friday.
The Indian naval vessel Tir was sent to the area and continued tracking the skiffs and mothervessel until dawn, when a coastguard vessel, the Samar, joined the operation.
The Indian Navy said: “On the order ‘stop and prepare to be boarded’, the pirates in the skiffs opened fire.
“After identifying the mothervessel as Prantalay 11, a Thai fishing boat, the [navy and coastguard] ships ordered it to stop. "However, the pirates fired yet again, upon which the Navy and Coastguard ship opend fire for effect.
“The pirates immediately signalled their intention to surrender by hoisting a white flag.”
The 28 pirates were then put onboard the Samar which is making its way to Mumbai, along with 24 Thai fishermen, taken hostage when the pirates hijacked their vessel.
The incident comes just days after the Indian Navy intercepted another Thai fishing vessel, the Prantalay, which was also being used by pirates as a mothership to launch attacks.
The navy said the vessel had been a risk to international shipping for many months and had carried out several attacks.
The Prantalay, along with 15 pirates and 20 fishermen hostages, were seized after a failed attack
Source: IFW
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