Somali pirates remanded in police custody till Feb 17

Mumbai, Feb 1 (PTI) Fifteen Somali and Ethiopianpirates, apprehended by the Indian Navy off the Lakshadweepcoast, were today remanded in police custody by a court heretill February 17.

They were produced before the Ballard PierMetropolitan Magistrate''s court, which remanded them in policecustody.

The pirates -- 14 Somali and an Ethiopian -- wereapprehended after a gunbattle while trying to loot a foreignmerchant vessel and placed under arrest yesterday.

They have been booked under various sections of IPC,including 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (everymember of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed inprosecution of common object), 307 (attempt to murder) and 363(kidnapping), and the Passport Act.

According to police, the pirates had launched anattack on MV Verdi, a merchant vessel flagged from Bahamas, onthe high seas last Friday.