Despite having a government appointed security team on board, Somali pirates hijacked the Iranian fishing dhow, al-Khaliil, and kidnapped her crew of 19 as the vessel was fishing legally in the waters off the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, according to officials and pirates who spoke to Somalia Report this evening.
The vessel had been fishing in the area of over a month and had the necessary permits from the Puntland government to fish in the area. As an extra layer of precaution, the Puntland government assigned a security team, made up of four armed police, to prevent a hijacking.
“Pirates hijacked the al-Khaliil and the 19 Iranian crew members off Calula village which is located in Alula district of Puntland's in Bari region," said Liibaan Dheere, a well-known businessman in Puntland who has been tasked to speak with Somalia Report on the shipowner's behalf.
Muse Mire, the shipowner's representative who is currently in Dubai, asked Mr. Dheere to serve as the spokesman for this incident since both men hail from the Ali-Saleban clan (sub-clan of Majeerteen).
“The boat was fishing legally. Puntland gave them permission and a security team, but the pirates hijacked the boat while the security team was sleeping. The pirates then removed the security team by putting them on land near Calula and moved the boat to the Garacad area in Mudug region. They kept the crew on board because they are planning to use it as a mothership in the coming days. We are requesting help from Puntland, and urge the international navies to attack and rescue this boat,” Mr. Dheere told Somalia Report.
Pirates in Bari region also confirmed the attack. “We heard this group of pirates from Bari region hijacked the boat. It was owned by Iran with 19 Iranian crews. Now the group are using the boat as a mothership,” a pirate told Somalia Report.
Pirates often claim they exist to protect the waters off Somalia from illegal fishing, but they will be hard pressed to make that case today and will likely draw criticism from the Puntland government, which recently stepped up anti-piracy efforts by designing an anti-piracy campaign, conducting sweeping security operations, arresting pirates, and establishing the Puntland Marine Police Force.
Somalia Report is attempting to reach Puntland officials for comments.
Double Threat for Local Fishermen
In response to the hijacking of the Iranian dhow, locals voiced their frustration with the pirates who have been wreaking havoc on the local fishing industry. Fishermen now fear that if they go to sea they will either be robbed by pirates or arrested by international navies on suspicion of being pirates.
"We are complaining that Somali pirates have been stealing our boats at night to hijack foreign vessels. They also take our nets and fish. Every since the pirates started hijacking boats, now everyone thinks even we are pirates, but we are just fishermen. We have been having so much trouble, some international vessels have poured boiling water onto out boats and destroying boats which can cause injuries and even death," Awad Yare, a local fisherman in Bargal, east of Bosaso, told Somalia Report.
"At the end of last year, pirates came to Bargal beach and seized my friend’s boat. They took it to Oman and my friend never saw his boat again. How can he feed his family if he can't fish? The pirates make so much trouble," he added.
Other local fisherman in Lasqorey district told Somalia Report they are in a no-win situation.
"We live in fear. It’s hard to us to go to the sea to seek our daily lives. We are scared of both pirates and the international navies. We are scared that naval forces will arrest us because they are suspecting we are pirates. We are scared the pirates will rob our fish, our boats. Both groups are armed so we can't argue or refuse them," said Jama Abdulla, a local fishermen in Lasqorey district of Sanaag region.
"One day when I and my two friends were on our boat, Somali pirates with a small boat like ours, came over and ask us to buy a fish. They didn't have much money so we refused them. Finally they forced us to give them the fish that we worked so hard to catch," said Mr. Abulla.