Hiiraan Online
Friday November 24, 2017
Seychelles ,(HOL)- European Naval Forces on Thursday handed over six suspected Somali pirates to Seychelles to stand trial.
The suspects were apprehended last week by Italian Marines following a foiled attack on Container-Ship and a fishing vessel off Somali coast.
In its Twitter post, the Mission said suspected pirates were handed over to Seychelles authorities to be prosecuted.
" EUNAFOR confirms transfer of suspected suspected pirates by Italian Marines and Sailors to Seychelles authorities today to commence the legal process," the Mission tweeted on Thursday.
Since 2011 foreign navies that capture suspected pirates have handed over hundreds of somali pirates to regional nations including Mauritius, as well as Kenya, and Tanzania, though the criminal industry in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden has largely died out.
The EU naval forces have largely brought the piracy to an end,
The drop in piracy incidents is a relief to shipping companies using the Indian Ocean that have been the target of pirates. However, experts warned that a new wave of illegal fishing by large trawlers may help the return of piracy to the Indian Ocean.