Sri Lankan fishermen rescued from pirates arrive in Seychelles |01 February 2024

Somali pirates being escorted by local police officers after SCG vessel Topaz and Sri Lankan fishing trawler ‘Lorenzo Putha-04’ had docked at the SCG port (Photo: Joena Meme)

Sri Lankan fishing trawler ‘Lorenzo Putha-04’ has safely ended its maiden journey at the Seychelles Coast Guard port, after being rescued at the hands of armed Somali pirates on Monday.

The vessel and its six crew members arrived at the port yesterday morning, escorted by SCG vessel Topaz.

Three suspected Somali pirates arrested during the mission have been handed over to the Seychelles police upon arrival.

Director for operations at the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) Major Hans Radegonde revealed that the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) were alerted about the suspected hijacking some 400 to 500 nautical miles from Seychelles, by the Sri Lankan navy on Saturday afternoon.

With vessels and aircrafts already on routine patrols north of Seychelles’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), an operation was mounted to intercept the boat.

Efforts to track and locate the vessel took approximately a day and a half, where it was observed that the boat had entered Seychelles’ EEZ.

According to Major Radegonde, Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) personnel comprising Special Forces and SCG officers approached the boat with all precautions, and managed to board it despite resistance from the suspected pirates who fired shots at the SCG vessel.

“We took control of the boat very quickly, and luckily there were no casualties” Major Radegonde noted, highlighting the delicate nature of hostage situations.

The vessel was intercepted 180 nautical miles from Denis Island.

The operation was mounted and executed solely by the local military, although they were provided with crucial information by their Sri Lankan counterparts, and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

Still according to Major Radegonde, piracy is on the rise in the Indian Ocean.

“Since last year, we have been receiving information that piracy activities have started again in the Indian Ocean, but we are now observing that their activities are more frequent than last year, and they are operating closer to the Seychelles’ waters,” he added.

Seychelles has never let its guard down in terms of maritime threats, Major Radegonde added, noting that operations remain unchanged for now.

The officers who partook in the operation were met by Chief of the Defence Forces, Brigadier Michael Rosette, who congratulated them on a job well done, and shared some words of encouragement.

He thanked them for protecting Seychelles against threats and criminals acting to further their own interests.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner Srimal Wickremasinghe who was also present, congratulated the SCG on the successful rescue operation.

He noted that negotiations are underway between the two governments for the Sri Lankan fishermen to be returned home.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a cause for concern since the 2000s, but a higher frequency of attacks was observed as of 2005.

Seychellois seamen have also fallen victim to Somali pirates in the past. At least five fishing boats in Seychelles were attacked and captured as of February 2009, with sailors kidnapped and released after ransom.

Laura Pillay