Somaliland: Indian Navy Seizes Arms from illegal fishing vessel off Socotra Island

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Somalilandsun- Indian Naval Ship Sunayna, deployed on anti-patrol in the Gulf of Aden, on Saturday seized arms and ammunition from an illegal fishing vessel off Somalia, officials said.

The ship detected a suspicious fishing vessel, approximately 25 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, in the vicinity of

Upon investigation, it was found that the vessel was engaged in illegal fishing in the area and was also in possession of four high caliber AK-47s and one Light Machine Gun, along with ammunition for these weapons.

“INS seized the arms and ammunition from the vessel, under the authority accorded by UNSCR 2383 (2017). The vessel was thoroughly searched and allowed to proceed, after confiscation of the arms and ammunition, to prevent their illegal use later by the crew for related activities,” said here.

“This incident reiterates the commitment of the towards ensuring safe seas for Indian, as well as international, seafarers in the region, particularly the and off the coast of Somalia,” he added.

–IANS

Socotra Island

Socotra, also called Soqotra, located between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, is the largest of four islands of the Socotra archipelago. The territory is located near major shipping routes and is officially part of Yemen, and had long been a subdivision of the Aden Governorate. Wikipedia