[130211.EN.SEA] Indians Bag 28 Pirates In Black Comedy Of Pirate Errors

THE Indian navy and coast guard captured 28 pirates after an exchange of fire only days after they had seized another 15 pirates, rescuing 24 Thai fishermen, whose vessel had been captured and used as a pirate mothership.  The 28 men surrendered off Kavaratti, 185 kilometres off the south eastern tip of India after warning shots were fired shortly after the pirates mistakenly attempted to hijack the warship having been unable to board their erstwhile prey, the quick manoeuvring Greek-flagged geared cargo ship MV Chios.  India's Southern Naval Command said its Dornier aircraft first spotted pirate skiffs alongside its mothership after which the Indian training vessel, the 3,200-ton frigate INS Tir, set out in pursuit, later joined by the coast guard offshore patrol vessel CGS Samar. "On the order 'stop and prepare to be boarded', the pirates in the skiffs opened fire. After identifying the mother vessel as Prantalay 11, a Thai fishing boat, the [navy and coast guard] ships ordered it to stop. However, the pirates fired yet again, upon which the navy and coast guard opened fire for effect. The pirates immediately signalled their intention to surrender by hoisting a white flag," said the navy statement. But the Mumbai Mirror reported that the task was made much easier after the pirates mistook the coast guard vessel on anti-piracy patrol for a small merchantman and attacked it. "The pirates, riding high-speed skiffs, started firing at the coast guard believing it to be a potential target, but were neutralised by a joint team of Indian Navy and Coast Guard after high drama," said a coast guard officer, according to the Mumbai Mirror. "The MV Chios could have been hijacked at any moment given that the pirates were dangerously close to it and we weren't," said the guard officer. "The captain, however, managed to hold them off with smart manoeuvring." Meanwhile, the warships INS Tir and the CGS Samar, reached the area mentioned in Chios's SOS, but were unable to find the ship or the pirates. By this time, the pirates - frustrated at being thwarted by the evasive Chios - had set off to hunt for easier prey. "Having failed to hijack Chios, the pirates were desperate to trap another ship and mistook the Samar for a merchantman. "Even as we were trying to trace them, they came trailing us on two skiffs and attacked us. It was a stupid mistake. It was then we started returning fire and they realised they attacked the wrong ship," said a coast guard official. The 28 pirates were then taken aboard the Samar which set off for Mumbai, together with the rescued Thai fishermen, whose vessel had been seized. This occurred days after the Indian navy intercepted another Thai fishing vessel, the Prantalay, which had been seized by pirates and deployed as a mothership from which to launch skiff attacks. The navy said the Prantalay had been operating against shipping for months and had carried out several attacks. The Prantalay, along with 15 pirates and 20 fishermen hostages, were taken after a failed attack on the 4,390-TEU CMA CGM Verdi.  Source : HKSG, 12.02.11.