Indian Navy seize hijacked cargo vessel
'Overwhelmed by the swift action, the crew members did not pose any resistance and surrendered themselves to the India Navy team'
Mumbai: In a major operation in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy apprehended a hijacked cargo vessel MV Nafis-1, 170 nautical miles north-west of Mumbai, detained nine crew members and seized automatic weapons and arms from them.
After its maritime reconnaissance aircraft, IL 38 SD – which on a surveillance mission detected the hijacked 500 tonne cargo vessel 250 nautical miles off the Mumbai, the Indian Navy rushed INS Mysore, a guided missile destroyer was tasked to intercept MV Nafis-1.
Unmindful of adverse weather conditions and rough seas, INS Mysore swiftly launched two helicopters with marine commandoes (MARCOS) to embark the hijacked vessel on Saturday.
Before long, the Indian Navy personnel took control of the hijacked vessel, detained nine crew members and seized some automatic weapons.
“Overwhelmed by the swift action, the crew members did not pose any resistance and surrendered themselves to the India Navy team. They were taken to INS Mysore,” a Defence ministry spokesperson said here on Sunday.
The detained crew members comprised five Yemenis, two Tanzanians, one Kenyan and one Somalian.
A search of the detained vessel revealed the presence of some automatic weapons. MV Nafis-1 is meanwhile being towed by INS Mysore to Porbandar in the neighbouring Gujarat state, where the crew and ship will be handed over to the local police and other investigating agencies.
MV Nafis-1 was reportedly drifting for over 20 days after a machinery
breakdown at sea.
