Chennai:
Indian Navy is in a dilemma on what to do with pirates captured in the sea as countries along Gulf of Aden have refused to take in the sea brigands as their courts and prisons are overflowing.
Speaking to reporters after delivering the Navy Day message, which is celebrated on December 4, Commodore Amar K Mahadevan, Naval officer in charge Tamilnadu and Puducherry said that 160 pirates are languishing in Indian prisons as countries like Seychelles or Kenya or other countries along the Gulf of Aden has refused to take them in.
“We don’t know what to do with pirates after arresting them in Gulf of Aden,” says the officer.
He says many other security agencies disarm the pirates and incapacitate them and provide them with fuel and water so that they can go to the nearest port. Till now piracy has been dealt under the provisions of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the century-old Admiralty law which have proved incompatible to the growing scope of this threat. To handle pirates effectively under Indian laws, a maritime bill is on the anvil to help maritime agencies, granting more powers to the Navy and the Coast Guard to deal with the sea brigands
Mahadevan also recounts an incident on how Indian Navy came to the rescue of a Chinese ship which even won accolades from the Chinese government.
Mahadevan said that a total of 2600 ships (including 300 Indian vessels) have been escorted by Indian Navy ships through the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) since 2008 when Indian Navy commenced anti piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden.
He also said that there is also a proposal to have armed guards in the merchant ship while sailing along the Gulf of Aden.
The Ministry of Shipping has estimated that Indian imports and exports through the Gulf of Aden is about $50 billion and $60 billion respectively and therefore the safety of maritime trade through this route is of primary concern as it directly impacts on the Indian economy.
Commodore Mahadevan also said that two Japanese Navy ships would be visiting Chennai by the end of this month for an interaction with Indian Navy
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