AFP news agency said that 35 Somali pirates were escorted to Mumbai on the Indian Navy destroyer INS Kolkata on Saturday (March 23).
The men were arrested during an Indian crackdown last week to retake a hijacked ship and free its hostages.
A Somali pirate was escorted ashore by the Indian Navy. Photo: DW
The Indian navy's statement said: "INS Kolkata and 35 captured pirates returned to Mumbai on March 23."
In the video released by news agency ANI, these pirates can be seen standing in the harbor next to the cargo ship MV Ruen and surrounded by navy commandos.
Indian Navy spokesman Vivek Madhwal said this was the first time in more than a decade that pirates were brought to the country for prosecution and trial.
This is a departure from India's recent practice of leaving unarmed pirates at sea after rescuing ships and crews.
The defendants could face the death penalty or life imprisonment under India's anti-piracy laws.
The Maltese-flagged ship MV Ruen was hijacked last December off the coast of Somalia. This is the first cargo ship seized by pirates since 12.
The Indian Navy said pirates turned MV Ruen into a mother ship to launch attacks on other ships.
During the MV Ruen rescue operation on March 15, Indian Navy commandos landed on the ship from helicopters and organized a quick attack, forcing the pirates to surrender.
The operation also freed all 17 crew members of the MV Ruen ship.
Since December last year, India has deployed at least a dozen warships in the Gulf of Aden and the northern Arabian Sea to protect freedom of navigation amid Red Sea shipping lanes blocked by Houthi forces. Yemen attacks.
Quang Anh (According to AFP, DW)
