NEW DELHI: In a quick move on Friday, the Indian Navy intercepted a merchant vessel that was converted into a mothership by the Somali pirates with the aim of hijacking in the high seas off the east coast of Somalia, officials said on Saturday.
The Indian navy on Saturday said it has thwarted “designs of Somali pirates to hijack ships plying through the region by intercepting ex-MV Ruen.”
The Merchant Vessel MV Ruen is the same vessel which had been hijacked by Somali pirates on 14 December 23 and it was reported to have sailed out as a pirate ship towards conducting acts of piracy on high seas, said the Navy.
The vessel was intercepted by an Indian Navy warship on 15 Mar 2024 but the pirates onboard vessel “opened fire on the warship”.
"The pirates onboard the vessel have been called upon to surrender and release the vessel and any civilians they may be holding against their will," the Navy said in a statement.
"The Indian Navy remains committed to maritime security and safety of seafarers in the region," it added.
As reported earlier by this newspaper MV Ruen with 18 sailors onboard gave a distress signal on December 14 2023, and indicated that six pirates had boarded the vessel.
The Indian Navy became the first responder. The Navy deployed its maritime patrol aircraft P8i to track the movement of the hijacked vessel, which was moving towards the coast of Somalia. After the aircraft located the vessel, the Indian Navy diverted its warship from the Gulf of Aden, and the hijacked vessel was intercepted on December 16 morning.
Later the Indian Navy on Monday rendered assistance in evacuating an injured crew member from MV Ruen, the Maltese-flagged merchant vessel hijacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea.
The merchant vessel was taken to the Somali waters by the hijackers.