Pirate Mother Ship Taken Down, Sailors Freed
A Sailor aboard a safety boat observes a visit, board, search and seizure team, assigned to guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd, board the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai. The Kidd's VBSS team detained 15 suspected pirates, who were holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks, according to the members of the crew. The Kidd is conducting counter-piracy and maritime security operations while deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
Forces assigned to the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, rescued an Iranian fishing vessel from Pirates in the northern Arabian Sea, Jan. 5.
At approximately 12:30 p.m, an SH-60S Seahawk from the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) detected a suspected pirate skiff alongside the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai. Simultaneously, a distress call was received from the master of the Al Molai claiming he was being held captive by pirates.
A Visit, Board, Search and Seizure team from the Kidd boarded the Al Molai and detained 15 suspected pirates who had been holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for several weeks. The Al Molai had been pirated and used as a “mother ship” for pirate operations throughout the Persian Gulf, according to members of the Iranian vessel’s crew.
The pirates did not resist the boarding and surrendered quickly.
“The Al Molai had been taken over by pirates for roughly the last 40-45 days,” said Josh Schminky, a Navy Criminal Investigative Service agent aboard the Kidd. “They were held hostage, with limited rations, and we believe were forced against their will to assist the pirates with other piracy operations.”
According to members of the Kidd boarding party, the Iranian crew said they were forced by the pirates to live in harsh conditions, under the threat of violence with limited supplies and medical aid.
“When we boarded, we gave them food, water, and medical care,” said Schminky. “They had been through a lot. We went out of our way to treat the fishing crew with kindness and respect.”
Guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd responded to a distress call from the master of the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai, who stated he was held captive by pirates.
“After securing the ship and ensuring the safety of all persons on board, we began distributing food and water to both the crew and the suspected criminals as is our standard practice in Counter-Piracy operations,” said Schminky. The pirates were detained on the Al Molai by the Kidd boarding party until the next morning when they could be transferred to the USS John C. Stennis where the matter will be reviewed for prosecution. The pirates currently remain on the Stennis.
“The Captain of the Al Molai expressed his sincere gratitude that we came to assist them. He was afraid that without our help, they could have been there for months,” said Schminky.
A U.S. Navy SH-60S Seahawk provides support to a visit, board, search and seizure team in a 7-meter rigid-hull inflatable boat, assigned to guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd. The VBSS team boarded an Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai after the dhow's master stated he was being held captive by pirates. The Kidd's VBSS team detained 15 suspected pirates who were reportedly holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for the last two months.
Piracy is an international problem that requires an international solution and is a threat to all mariners. The presence of U.S. Navy ships in this region promotes freedom of navigation and protects the safety of those who transit the sea.
The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Table of contents for Pirates
- Peleliu Stops Pirate Attack
- Navy Tanker fights Off Pirates
- Navy Continues to Eye Pirates
- US Navy Aids Ship Released By Pirates
- US Navy Jugs Somali Pirates
- Navy Detains Somali Pirates
- Maersk Alabama Taken By Somali Pirates
- Navy Rescues Pirate Captive
- Pics From the Pirate Rescue Off Somalia
- This Is a Pirate Ship?
- USS McFaul nabs pirates off Oman
- Marine Hymn still echoes: Pirates taken down off Somalia
- German Navy Intercepts Somali Pirates
- Royal Marines Free Pirated Ship Off Somalia
- Pirate Mother Ship Taken Down, Sailors Freed
- Pirates Attack Spanish Warship
- Somali Piracy Update
- Dutch Navy sinks Somali pirate ship
the attachments to this post:
anti-piracy effort
fishing dhow Al Molai
Pirated vessel
This entry was posted on Monday, January 9th, 2012 at 9:25 am and is filed under Military, War on Terror. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
