India prosecutes 35 pirates who hijacked ship off Somalia

India has taken legal action against Somali pirates responsible for hijacking a captured ship in the Arabian Sea.

According to unofficial sources within the Indian naval forces, the Indian government has decided to bring to justice the 35 Somali pirates arrested aboard a hijacked ship off the coast of Somalia on March 16. The move marks a change in practice, as previously pirates were usually disarmed at sea after the rescue of hijacked ships and their crews.

Indian naval forces managed to free the Bulgarian bulk carrier “Ruen”, belonging to the company “Bulgarian Maritime Navigation” and sailing under the Maltese flag, after it was hijacked on December 14 in the North Arabian Sea. Since then, India has maintained a robust presence in the region, deploying at least a dozen warships in the Gulf of Aden and the northern Arabian Sea.

The initiative aims to help ships in the eastern Red Sea, where several navies, including the United States, are working to secure shipping routes under attack by Yemen's Houthi militants. Indian authorities said the navy maintains continuous surveillance of the region using aerial platforms and information gathered from other ships.

On March 20, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev had a telephone conversation with his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu. He expressed gratitude to the Indian Naval Forces for their high professionalism in freeing the ship and its crew, including seven Bulgarian sailors.