Indian Navy Successfully Completes Anti-Piracy Operation, Hands Over 35 Somali Pirates to Mumbai Police

A group of 35 Somali pirates, who had been apprehended by the Indian Navy, were transferred to Mumbai Police custody on Saturday following the completion of necessary Customs and Immigration procedures.

Images from Naval Dockyard in Mumbai depicted the pirates lining up as Mumbai Police assigned them identification numbers. Subsequently, they were escorted from the dockyard to JJ Hospital for medical evaluations.

The Indian Navy recently conducted a successful anti-piracy operation spanning nearly two days, resulting in the rescue of 17 crew members from the vessel MV Ruen, with no casualties reported. Approximately 35 pirates surrendered and were subsequently taken into custody, according to statements from the Indian Navy.

The operation, which involved multiple assets, including a navy destroyer, a patrol ship, an Indian Air Force C-17 transporter, marine commandos deployed via airdrop, a naval drone, a reconnaissance drone, and a P-8 surveillance jet, was meticulously executed, as outlined in a release from the Indian Navy.

The MV Ruen’s hijacking by Somali pirates in December of the previous year marked the first successful seizure of a vessel off Somalia’s coast since 2017. However, when the Ruen, now under pirate control, departed Somali waters with intentions of engaging in piracy on the high seas, the Indian Navy took action to intercept it.

Leveraging surveillance information, the Indian Navy tracked the movement of the Pirate Ship Ruen and directed INS Kolkata to intercept the vessel approximately 260 nautical miles east of Somalia.

INS Kolkata intercepted the Ruen on the morning of March 15 and confirmed the presence of armed pirates using a ship-launched drone. The pirates responded by shooting down the drone and firing at the Indian Naval warship. In response, INS Kolkata disabled the ship’s steering system and navigational aids, compelling the Pirate Ship to come to a halt.

INS Kolkata employed measured tactics while maintaining close proximity to the Pirate Ship and engaged in negotiations, ultimately resulting in the surrender of the pirates and the release of the pirate ship MV Ruen and its original crew.

All 35 Somali pirates surrendered on March 16, and all 17 original crew members of MV Ruen were safely evacuated from the pirate vessel without any harm.

Bulgarian leaders, including President Rumen Radev, expressed their gratitude to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the operation. Radev acknowledged PM Modi for the Navy’s courageous action in rescuing the hijacked Bulgarian ship ‘Ruen’ and its crew, which included seven Bulgarian citizens.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel also extended thanks to the Indian Navy for rescuing the Bulgarian nationals in a successful anti-piracy operation in the Arabian Sea. In response, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed appreciation, emphasizing the essence of friendship.

Jaishankar took to social media to convey, “That’s what friends are for,” alongside Gabriel’s post.

The culmination of the ongoing anti-piracy operation involving the pirate ship Ruen in the Southern Indian Ocean Region underscores the Indian Navy’s commitment to promoting peace, stability, and countering piracy in the region.