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HMCS Winnipeg constant thorn in the side of the Somali pirates

By: Dan Lett

Posted: 05/24/2009 8:34 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

ON BOARD HMCS WINNIPEG — Canadian Forces boarding parties detained and searched two suspected pirate skiffs about 50 miles off the coast of Yemen, uncovering a large cache of automatic weapons, ammunition and rocket-propelled grenade launchers with warheads.

Commander Craig Baines, the captain of the Winnipeg, said the weapons seizures marked a very successful day for the Canadian frigate, which has been a constant thorn in the side of the Somali pirates that hunt merchant vessels in this, one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.

"The pirates are going to get on streaks and the (NATO) coalition is going to get on streaks and right now, we’re on the hot streak," said Baines. "We’ve definitely improved our ability to detect and engage."

The two small fishing boats were spotted 20 miles from HMCS Winnipeg at about 8 AM local by the Canadian warships Sea King helicopter, the Palomino, out on regular patrol. Within the hour, the Winnipeg had closed the distance between the first of the two skiffs, and deployed its boarding party.

The search of the first skiff uncovered a significant amount of weapons, including four AK-47 assault rifles, magazines full of rounds, an American M-16 rifle with magazine, one pistol and one rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launcher with two warheads.

An aluminum ladder modified to include grappling hooks at one end — a favorite tool of Somali pirates to board much larger merchant vessels — had been dumped by the skiff’s crew and secured with a buoy to be picked up later.

The six suspected Somali pirates were detained for questioning and released because they had not been engaged in an actual act of piracy. Under international law governing the Winnipeg’s mission, arrests are not possible unless there is clear evidence the suspects had attacked a merchant vessel.

Lt. Mike Baker, leader of the boarding party that stopped the first skiff, said the incidents Sunday are a good example of how warships can deter and disrupt pirate activity before any attacks take place.

"We know for a fact now that these guys are not going to hurt anyone else today," said Baker. "They denied being pirates, but you could tell from the looks on their faces that they knew that we knew what was going on."

Less than an hour later, the Winnipeg was able to intercept the second pirate skiff. The three crewmembers claimed they had been kidnapped by the other skiff and forced to drag them far out to sea to the shipping corridor where most of the pirate attacks take place.

However, a lengthy search under incredibly hot and humid conditions finally uncovered a weapons stash in the boat’s engine compartment. Again, because the pirates had not been engaged in an actual act of piracy, they were questioned, relieved of their weapons and released.

The Winnipeg is in the final stages of a mission under the control of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) task force that has been tasked to patrol the commercial shipping corridor in the Gulf of Aden, off the east coast of Somalia. The region has become a hot spot of pirate activity, with more than 100 confirmed pirate attacks in this calendar year.

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