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The Mumbai police arrested nine pirates who were brought to India on Wednesday, days after the Navy caught them for hijacking an Iranian fishing vessel with 23 Pakistani crew members on board off the Somalia coast, an official said.
The Indian Navy rescued the hijacked Iranian fishing vessel 'Al-Kambar 786' and its crew after more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures as part of an anti-piracy operation on March 29.
At the time of the incident, the vessel was approximately 90 nm southwest of Socotra, an island in the Indian Ocean.
The operation involved INS Sumedha and guided missile frigate INS Trishul.
"After the successful operation of the Indian Navy team, the pirates surrendered and the crew members were rescued. The pirates were then taken into custody by the Navy and after six days of journey, the pirates were brought to Mumbai," the official said.
During questioning of the crew members of the fishing vessel, it came to light Somalian pirates were carrying AK-47 rifles, hand grenades and rocket launchers. The pirates threatened to kill crew members if they made any movement, he said.
After rescuing the crew members and detaining the pirates, Indian Navy commandos inspected the fishing vessel and recovered 728 live rounds of AK-47 rifle, a GPS (global positioning system) device and eight mobile phones, he said.
The sea robbers had thrown their weapons into the sea after warning from the Indian Navy commandos, according to the official.
The Navy later handed over the pirates to the Mumbai police who placed them arrest, he added.
The Mumbai police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, the Passports Act and the Foreigners Act against the pirates and placed them under arrest, the official said.
The arrested pirates were identified as Gelie Jama Farah (50), Ahmed Bashir Omar (42), Abdikarin Mohmmad Shire (34), Adan Hasan Warmase (44), Mohammed Abdi Ahmed (34), Abdikadir Mohmmad Ali (28), Aydid Mohmud Jimale (30), Said Yasin Adan (25) and Jama Said Elmi (18), the police said.
The pirates were able to speak only in their native Somali language and help of translators will be taken to communicate with them during questioning, the official said.
The arrested Somalian pirates will be produced before a Mumbai court on Thursday, he said.
The latest action comes two weeks after the Navy rescued another vessel, freed 17 hostages, and captured 35 armed pirates in a nearly 40-hour dramatic mid-sea operation off the Somalia coast.
These 35 pirates were also brought to Mumbai and placed under arrest by the police.