Tally of Pirates Caught - U.S. 16, Russia 10

Yesterday I posted that the U.S. had captured 16 Somali Pirates.

Today Lloyds List reports the Russians have captured 10.

Russian navy capture suspected pirates

Martyn Wingrove - Friday 13 February 2009
THE tide is turning against pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden after the Russian navy seized 10 suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia.

News agencies reported the capture of three pirate boats by the Peter the Great nuclear-powered warship today.

This comes after reports yesterday that nine suspected pirates were seized by a US warship and another seven were caught earlier in the week.

A Russian navy spokesman told new agencies that a helicopter saw the Somali citizens throwing weapons into the sea before the Peter the Great cruiser arrived on the scene.

He said the navy managed to confiscate grenade launchers, automatic rifles, landmines and narcotics during the raid on three pirate boats.

The presence of navies from the US, Britain, India and Russia is having a positive effect on the number of successful pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden.

The International Maritime Bureau said today that three more attacks on shipping in the area were thwarted by naval intervention.