The high-octane anti-piracy operation against the hijacked MV Ruen gained admiration for the Indian Navy and underscored its position as the first responder in the Indian Ocean Region.

Apart from its marine commandos taking control of the merchant vessel following the maiden airborne raid, the incident has resulted in another first. The arrested 35 Somalian pirates will be prosecuted under India’s Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022, the first case under the law.

The Indian Navy forayed into the Gulf of Aden in 2008. Since then, while it grew confident in carrying out operations on the high seas to safeguard commercial vessels from the Somalian pirates, it lacked the legal backing to try them. More often than not, the pirates were disarmed and left adrift in the high seas.

The rescue of MV Ruen after 40 hours of high-tempo action that unfolded 1400 kilometers off India’s coast resulted in the arrest of 35 pirates. The Indian Navy’s warship INS Kolkata disabled the navigation system of the hijacked vessel, restricting its maneuverability.

The Indian Navy brought these 35 Somalian pirates for further legal recourse under the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022. The Western Naval Command did an unprecedented job in coordinating the entire anti-piracy operation of this scale swiftly and without any harm and casualties that included joint planning, air ops, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations, negotiations with pirates, something even unheard of from the US Navy.

It also demonstrates India’s Maritime Domain Awareness and its capabilities to act, which have grown exponentially in the last few years. The operation also became a diplomatic high point when the Bulgarian PM thanked India for rescuing its nationals.

There has been an increase in serious incidents of maritime security in recent times. The terrorist attack on commercial and warships, drone attacks, piracy, and armed robbery in the Indian Ocean has a compounding effect on global shipping prices, insurance, and the safety of seafarers.

It is to be noted that the Indian Ocean High-Risk Area for Piracy was removed in January 2023 after more than a decade of anti-piracy efforts by several navies, including India. The West Asian crisis now impacts the maritime domain as well.

Importance Of MV Ruen Case

The MV Ruen case is historical and crucial. It is the first arrest of pirates under the newly adopted domestic maritime law, the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022 (MAP 2022), which gives effect to International maritime laws, namely the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas.

MAP 2022 renders acts of maritime piracy and armed robbery within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone and beyond punishable under Indian law and lead to imprisonment for life and even death sentences for the perpetrators.

The pirates were brought to India on March 23 and were handed over to the Mumbai police. They will face charges of ransom demands. The court on March 25 sent the 35 pirates for 10 days remand while the charges are being framed for kidnapping for ransom, extortion, criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement, attempted murder, and criminal intimidation.

The hiccup that the prosecution is facing is that the accused pirates only speak the Somali language, forcing the Mumbai police to obtain a translator.