Three Pirates Arrested by Chinese Navy Transferred to Puntland (V2)

(B2) A Chinese navy vessel on Friday (May 5) handed over three suspected piracy suspects to Somali authorities in Puntland, including one known as Aw Kombe, a well-known local pirate, according to Ahmed Saiid deputy chief of Puntland police, quoted by the Reuters agency. He would have been particularly involved in the attack in the Gulf of Aden, foiled in early April, OS35, a freighter flying the flag of Tuvalu (Read: OS35 Hack Foiled by Indian and Chinese Navy) as in the shot of the Aris 13 tanker (The Aris 13 ship released), and in about twenty attacks, estimate the Somali authorities.

Judged in Puntland

The three pirates, who were handcuffed and wearing life jackets, were brought to port in small inflatable boats. They should be tried in Puntland, Colonel Yasin Ali Nur assured the Somali journalist of Voice of Africa Fadumo Yasin Jama. "These three prisoners, their weapons, will be kept here in the port jail until they are transferred to the central jail, and appear in court," Nur said.

Hidden on release

The three men had docked the ship in an attempt to hijack it, confirmed the person concerned himself, who confided in our colleagues from Voice of Africa But they began to meet difficulties after the crew locked themselves in the secure room ". To avoid being arrested by the Chinese soldiers deployed on the boat by helicopter, Aw Koombe and his two acolytes then hid on the ship. " I slept 12 hours throughout the night. But the next day, they [the Chinese] heard a little noise. They found out where we were hiding, then they apprehended us ". Aw Koombe, however, denied having participated in other attacks, explaining his gesture by " ... poverty. Is there really another reason? »

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Updated with information from Voice of Africa