. | . |
Spanish navy arrests 11 suspected Somali pirates Madrid (AFP) March 29, 2011 The Spanish navy Tuesday arrested 11 suspected Somali pirates who had chased a Seychelles-registered fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean, the Spanish defence ministry saud. The 11 suspects remain aboard the Spanish frigate "Canarias" pending a decision by authorities in the Seychelles, it said in a statement. The Spanish naval operations centre (COVAM) was alerted by the fishing vessel that it was being pursued by pirates aboard two boats -- a skiff and a whaler -- in the early hours of Tuesday. Crew on the boat, which included several Spaniards, at the same time fired warning shots to dissuade the pirates. COVAM contacted the "Canarias", which is part of the European Union's Atalante anti-piracy operation in the Indian Ocean, and a helicopter from the frigate went to intercept the pirates, the statement said. "The 'Canarias' managed to capture the skiff with eight suspected pirates on board and found no weapons or material related to piracy, and soon afterwards intercepted the whaler, which had three suspects on board." The international community is facing difficulties in prosecuting the growing number of pirates off Somalia, a lawless, war-torn country that sits alongside one of the world's most important shipping routes. Two Somali men are currently on trial in Spain over the hijacking of a Spanish fishing boat in 2009.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links 21st Century Pirates
Indian navy captures pirates, rescues crew Mumbai (UPI) Mar 15, 2011 The Indian navy captured 61 suspected pirates and freed kidnapped crew members after a gun battle aboard a hijacked fishing trawler in the Arabian Sea. The 78-foot ship Vega 5, owned by Mozambican company Efripel, was hijacked by the Somali pirates Dec. 28 and was being used as a mother vessel from which to attack and capture other ships. The rescue operation began when navy pers ... read more |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |