The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have been maintaining a vigilant watch over west of the Lakshadweep Islands for pirate boats in the last two months. This has been extremely effective and the area has been free of piracy incidents.
During one such aircraft surveillance sortie at 28 January, a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft on routine patrol located two white colour skiffs in the vicinity of a merchant vessel MV CMA CGM Berdi. The aircraft descended and passed over the skiffs and chased them away. A mother vessel Prantalay was also sighted by the patrol aircraft in the area. MV CMA Berdi is a Bahamas flag container carrier.
Because of the timely arrival of the aircraft, the merchant vessel is now safe and heading for its next port of call in East Asia. The suspicious mother vessel Prantalay continues to be monitored by Navy and Coast Guard units.
Anti piracy patrols and surveillance in the East Arabian sea will continue in order to assure merchant vessels using the international shipping lanes in the Arabian sea of their security.
