Somali Pirates Arrested, to be Detained in Holland

Counter-piracy warship 'HNLMS Rotterdam' frees captives from pirated dhow, the accused to face trial in The Netherlands.

After a three day hunt by NATO and EU counter piracy forces, HNLMS Rotterdam in close cooperation with EU unit FGS Sachsen, has successfully disrupted a pirated dhow.

The end game took place in the coastal waters of Somalia. The crew has been freed and is in good condition. The suspected pirates will be transported to Rotterdam and will be detained awaiting further decisions on the follow-on process.

HNLMS Rotterdam is the flagship of the NATO Task Force 508 and is a part of the international effort to fight piracy in the waters around Somalia. The combined NATO / EU action underlines the strength of the international maritime cooperation.