Latest piracy news (August 14, 2011) (update2)
(BRUSSELS2)
Indian Navy seizes Iranian ship
The Indian Navy came to the aid of an Iranian merchant vessel, the Mv Nafis 1, about 170 miles off the Indian coast and Mumbai. The ship had been spotted by a maritime patrol aircraft on August 12 and then kept under surveillance. By the time the missile destroyer, INS Mysore, closes in and intervenes. Two helicopters and 24 men from the elite commandos (the Marcos) then launched the assault. Information ensures that this ship could be used for contraband, weapons in particular.
A Norwegian P3 Orion engaged in the Indian Ocean in the fall
Norway will send a maritime surveillance plane, P3 Orion, to take part in NATO's anti-piracy operation. The aircraft will participate for three months, from October to December, in the surveillance of the coasts. At the same time, Norway should send some officers to the NATO maritime center for a period of at least 8 months, announces the Ministry of Defence. This is the second involvement of Norwegian forces in the fight against pirates in the Indian Ocean, the first was within the framework of the EU operation, Eunavfor Atalanta, by sending a frigate between August 2009 and January 2010. The Norwegian offshore fleet is not negligible, of the 20.000 ships that pass off Somalia each year, it is estimated that around 1000 ships are controlled by Norwegians, of which around half carry the Norwegian flag.
The MV Sinin released
The headquarters of the European anti-piracy operation (Eunavfor Atalanta) confirmed the release "after payment of a ransom", on August 14, of a Maltese ship, the Mv Sinin. This 52.466 T bulk carrier was en route to Fujairah (United Arab Emirates) when it was attacked on February 12, about 350 miles east of Masirah (Oman) in the Arabian Sea. The ship, which has a crew of 12 Iranians and 10 Indians, is on its way to a safe port, HQ said on August 15.
Conviction in the Netherlands for five pirates
The five Somali pirates who carried out the attack on a South African yacht, the Choizil, were sentenced on Friday (15 August) by the court in Rotterdam (Netherlands). Two of the pirates were found to have participated in the kidnapping and sentenced to 6 and 7 years in prison. While for the other three, the sentences range between 4 and 1/2 and 5 1/2 years (for the leader of the pirates), their involvement in the hostage-taking not having been proven. The sentences handed down are less than what the prosecutor would require. The convicts will serve their sentence in the Netherlands. The Dutch would have preferred the pirates to be tried in South Africa, but that country refused. Also read:
- Latest piracy news (July 31) (update)
- 5 more pirates will be tried in the Netherlands
- The South African skipper safe and sound. Tale of a hectic weekend
Attack foiled on the Mv Caravos Horizon
The British frigate HMS Monmouth (F-235) came to the rescue, on Thu (August 11), of a bulk carrier flying the Maltese flag, the Mv Caravos Horizon, which was boarded by six armed men in the southern Red Sea. The crew of 24 Filipinos raised the alarm and took refuge in the "citadel". The British frigate taking part in Operation CTF 151 was 60 miles from the incident at the time of the alert and launched its Lynx helicopter. According to Lt Chris Easterbrook, pilot of the helicopter, “We were able to take photos and video to help the captain determine what action to take and also assess the threat the boarding party will face. The American Ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) came as reinforcement, deploying an MH-60S helicopter to widen the surveillance area. "When we arrived, the attackers had fled," testified one of the officers.
Algerian sailors held hostage by pirates are all alive
The sailors of the MV Blida are all safe, said the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to what the Quotidien d'Oran reports, thus denying information that a sailor was dead. Since its capture on January 1, the authorities have remained very discreet about the fate of the MV Blida. On board 27 members including 17 Algerians. And the families remain very worried. Algeria refuses to pay a ransom and has even asked the General Assembly of the United Nations to adopt a resolution criminalizing the payment of ransoms in the case of hostage-taking. Also read:
Relay in the Indian Ocean
Greek frigates Nikiforos Phokas, French Courbet and German Lower Saxony left the EU Anti-Piracy Operation Area (Eunavfor Atalanta) in early August. They were relayed by the French frigates Surcouf (F-711) and German Bavaria. Commanded by Captain Marc-Antoine de Saint Germain, the Surcouf (3.200 t., 124 m.) is equipped with an AS 565 Panther helicopter and a crew of 168 members. THE Bavaria (5.600 t., 139 m.) has a crew of 243 sailors and two Lynx MK 88-A helicopters.
On the Italian side, let us point out that the frigate Doria will participate in the similar NATO operation (Ocean Shield).
