Navy hands over 9 suspected pirates to Somalia

[unhappycamper]

Navy hands over 9 suspected pirates to Somalia
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Mar 2, 2009 18:09:45 EST

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somali official said Monday that the Navy handed over nine suspected pirates to authorities in northern Somalia.

Mohamed Siad Jaqanaf, deputy police chief of the semiautonomous region of Puntland, did not give any details on what would happen to the men. The waters off the lawless Horn of Africa nation have been plagued by pirate attacks the past few years.

Lt. Nate Christensen of the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet confirmed the transfer of the men. He said they were detained Feb. 12 after being found in the vicinity of an Indian merchant ship that pirates had unsuccessfully attacked off the Somali coast.

“The U.S. Navy evaluated the situation and determined there was insufficient evidence to support their prosecution” by the U.S., Christensen said.

More than 100 ships were attacked by Somali pirates last year, around half of them successfully. Countries as diverse as Russia, India, America and France have sent warships to patrol Somali waters following the spate of hijackings.


Article at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/03/ap_pirates_somalia_navy_030209/%2e