In an end to the episode of the merchant vessel turned pirate vessel Ruen, Indian Navy destroyer INS Kolkata, in the last 40 hours, through concerted actions successfully cornered and coerced all 35 pirates to surrender and ensured safe evacuation of 17 crew members on Saturday evening from the pirate vessel without any injury, the Navy said late on Saturday.
The ex-Malta flagged merchant vessel Ruen which was hijacked on December 14 and taken to Somalian waters was turned into a pirate vessel and was reported being used as a pirate ship for further acts of piracy on the high seas. The vessel was intercepted by INS Kolkata on March 14 when it was fired upon.
“INS Kolkata had carried out the interception of the Pirate Ship Ruen almost 1400 nm (2600km) from the Indian Coast, and forced the pirate ship to stop through calibrated actions which were augmented by INS Subhadra, high altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and MARCOS air-dropped by C-17 aircraft,” the Navy Spokesperson said in a late update. “The vessel has also been sanitised for presence of illegal arms, ammunition and contraband.”
