Indian navy and coast guard seize 28 pirates |09 February 2011

The incident took place about 100 nautical miles off Kavaratti in the Lakshadweep islands, which are in Indian territorial waters west of Kerala.

The INS Tir of Southern Naval Command (SNC), deployed off Kavaratti, was asked to locate the pirates who had launched an abortive attack on the merchant ship Chios on February 5.

The SNC launched a Dornier aircraft, which located pirate skiffs and their mother vessel at about 8pm on February 5.

The Tir reached the area and continued tracking the skiffs and their mother ship till first light on February 6 to ensure proper identification and prevent an accident. The Coast Guard vessel Samar joined the operation on the same day at about 5am.  

On being ordered to stop and prepare to be boarded, the pirates aboard the skiffs opened fire.  After correctly identifying the mother vessel as the captured trawler Prantalay 11, the ships contacted it by radio and asked it to stop. However, the pirates fired yet again, and so the Navy and Coast Guard ships fired warning shots.
 
The pirates immediately signalled their intention to surrender by hoisting a white flag. A mix of pirates and crew members who were being held hostage aboard the trawler were taken on board the Samar.   
   
The Samar then headed towards Mumbai with 28 pirates and 24 Thai fishermen on board, and the Prantalay 11 under tow.  The pirates and hostages will be handed over to the police in Mumbai.