3 suspects apprehended by the Louise-Marie (Maj)
(BRUSSELS2) The drop in pirate catches does not mean the suppression of all aspiration to piracy. A skiff with three apprentice pirates has just been stopped by the Belgian frigate Louise Marie Thursday (December 27) around 11:30 a.m. (local time), off the coast of Somalia. The suspect skiff was “ equipped with very powerful motors “, we report to the Belgian General Staff. If the response team was able to discover " several barrels filled with gasoline ", intended to ensure the refueling of the engines, " no weapon was found on board. The three suspects were brought back on board the frigate. A procedure is projects to determine whether or not the alleged pirates have participated in previous piracy actions”. A soldier from the Belgian intervention team was injured accidentally to a lower limb during the procedure. He is " cared for on board of the Louise-Marie, which has an on-board infirmary.
Release
(Update) After analysis of the event and the available evidence, the decision was made to release the men. " They were put ashore on a Somali beach “, Specifies a press release from HQ Eunavfor Atalanta published on December 31. For number 2 of the operation, Rear Admiral Gualtiero Mattesi, the Deputy Operation Commander of the Naval Force, " the European Union is still seeking, if possible, a legal solution. However, this time, despite all reasonable grounds to suspect piracy, it was felt that the evidence was not sufficient to secure prosecution. ».
A previous
Note that during a previous intervention near the Somali coast, in mid-December, five other suspected pirates were apprehended near the Somali coast. But nothing " link " with a situation involving a vessel flying the Belgian flag could not be established by the magistrate present on board the frigate. And since no clear evidence was available - and no country willing to prosecute - the five suspects were released after four days of detention.
