The warship INS Kolkata is transporting 35 pirates who were apprehended off the coast of Somalia as it approaches Mumbai
According to the Navy, the warship INS Kolkata arrived in Mumbai early on Saturday morning, transporting 35 pirates who had been captured during an operation off the coast of Somalia.
The Mumbai police reportedly received these pirates after that.
Undergoing Operation Sankalp, which involves the deployment of Indian Navy ships in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden to ensure the safety of seafarers and commercial traffic traveling through the area, included the exercise.
“INS Kolkata, with the 35 apprehended pirates, returned to Mumbai on March 23 and handed over the pirates to the local police for further legal action in accordance with Indian laws, specifically the Maritime Anti Piracy Act 2022,” stated the Navy.
Based on information obtained by Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region from UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations), INS Kolkata intercepted Pirate Ship ex-MV Ruen in the Arabian Sea during an operation that lasted more than 40 hours and started in the early hours of March 15.
It claimed that the ship was being utilized as a Mother Ship for pirate operations and merchantman kidnappings.
Early on March 15, INS Kolkata began observing the Pirate Ship.
The ship changed direction and headed toward the Somali Coast as soon as it saw INS Kolkata. The Navy said that they saw many armed pirates on the ship’s top deck.
In compliance with international law, particularly the United Nations Conventions on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS), INS Kolkata ordered the pirate ship to halt so that an inquiry could be conducted.
But the pirate ship would not cooperate, and it fired first.
“INS Kolkata thereafter acted in self-defence and used kinetic measures required to disable the ship and compel the pirates to surrender,” it said.
In the operation, INS Subhadra accompanied INS Kolkata. Additionally, in cooperation with the Indian Air Force, the Indian Navy used C-17s to conduct long-range deployment and paradrop of Marine Commandos over the water near the pirate ship.
The Indian Navy P8I aircraft, the Sea Guardian UAV, the ship’s in-built helicopters, and spotter drones conducted the operation’s aerial observation.
All of the pirates on board gave up in the face of the Indian Navy’s resolute actions. It claimed, “The 35 pirates and 17 crew members were duly apprehended and transferred to Indian Naval vessels.”
The ship was made safe after the Indian Navy sanitized it and conducted a check for weapons, ammo, and contraband. The Naval technical team also evaluated the ship’s seaworthiness and made the necessary modifications to make it ready for future travel.
