Portuguese warship fires warning shots at suspected pirates; detains and releases 6 Somali men
By APFriday, December 18, 2009
Portuguese warship spots 6 suspected pirates
NAIROBI, Kenya — A naval spokesman says sailors from a Portuguese warship boarded a suspected pirate ship off the coast of Somalia.
Lt. Cmdr. Alexandre Santos Fernandes says the crew of the Alvares Cabral identified a ladder, boarding hooks and weapons on a skiff during a patrol in the Gulf of Aden around dawn Friday. A naval helicopter approached the skiff and fired warning shots but the men threw the equipment overboard.
Sailors from the warship inspected the skiff and ensured there were no weapons or equipment aboard. They then released the men and the skiff with enough fuel to get to Somalia.
Most warships follow a “disrupt and deter” policy rather than arresting suspected pirates and taking them for long and costly trials onshore.
