Suspected Somali pirates nabbed

A total of 17 Africans, 14 of them suspected Somalian pirates, were arrested in Saurashtra region of Gujarat after their vessel ran out of fuel and drifted to the Indian coastline, police said today.

A total of 17 Africans, 14 of them suspected Somalian pirates, were arrested in Saurashtra region of Gujarat after their vessel ran out of fuel and drifted to the Indian coastline, police said on Monday.

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The 17 were arrested in Junagadh district on Sunday after alert villagers tipped off the cops about the foreign faces.

Police Inspector BH Jadeja said that prima facie, 14 seem to be Somalian pirates, while the rest three are from Yemen.

According to the Yemen nationals, the pirates had seized their seacraft, but it ran out of fuel in the high seas and drifted in the low pressure atmosphere to the coast.

According to official sources, the 17 men were in bad shape, having run out of food and water, and some of them had to be taken to hospital before being moved to police custody for interrogation.

"Nothing incriminating has been found from them," a police officer said.

Meanwhile, questions are being raised as to how the group managed to reach the shore unnoticed despite a three-tier security in place.

The Indian Navy is present in the blue water areas, followed by the coast guard and the marine police on the coastline.