Navy chief warns against piracy-terrorism nexus
Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma has made a pitch for putting in place
pre-emptive measures to scuttle pirates from developing a nexus with
terror groups.
Speaking at an international symposium at New Port, Rhode Island, Verma on Thursday cautioned against the possibility of the
Speaking at an international symposium at New Port, Rhode Island, Verma on Thursday cautioned against the possibility of the
The symposium themed, "Security and Prosperity through Maritime Partnerships," is being organised by the US Naval War College.
Verma highlighted the dilemma being faced by naval forces due to
ineffective legal mechanisms to prosecute pirates apprehended by them.
He said, "It is estimated that nine out of 10 apprehended pirates
benefit from the 'catch and release' policy followed by most navies till
now."
India is yet to prosecute more than 100 pirates apprehended by the
navy. The country is working on a legislation to declare piracy as an
offence under Indian law. In the absence of such a law, pirates
apprehended by the navy and coast guard are currently prosecuted for
offences such as attempt to murder, criminal trespass and damage to
property.
Verma said piracy was no longer mere robbery but had morphed into an
elaborate network of operations to extract enormous quantities of
ransom. "Ransom amounts have increased to an average of $5.4 million per
ship from just $150,000 five years ago," he said.
Verma said international efforts off the Gulf of Aden had resulted in
pirates expanding their footprint in the Arabian Sea and prowling
closer to Indian shores. He said, "Some of these areas have been not too
far from India's Lakshadweep and Mincoy group of islands and this has
been a cause of concern to us."
Source: HT
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