Gujarat police on Monday arrested fourteen Somali pirates and three Yemeni nationals after they reached the Gujarat coast after being stranded for a month in the sea without food or water. The group was spotted by villagers along the coast, who alerted the authorities.
"Out of 17 men in the boat, 14 are from Somalia and other three are from Yemen. The owner of the boat also belongs to Yemen. These pirates had set out from Somalia from Tuhen island. Around May 20, the boat's engine broke down near the Junagadh district coastline," said V D Gohil, deputy superintendent of police, Veraval.
The Coast Guard and the Indian Navy were caught unaware about the Somali pirates, raising questions about the preparedness of security along the coast.
Before reaching the Gujarat coast, these Somali pirates had looted a Yemenese ship called 'Al Hara'.
