DUBAI // A US prosecutor said the arrest and prosecution of pirate kingpins in Somalia would be the true measure of success in combating piracy.
‚ÄúWe have to be proactive and one of the ways is to cut the head off that snake, to rip those networks and put these men behind bars,‚Äù said Alamdar Hamdani, deputy chief, counterterrorism section, US department of justice. ‚ÄúGovernments all over the world are looking to bring pirate kingpins to justice … We need increased cooperation in the region to get the bad guys to justice.
“There is no kingpin in custody yet in Somalia,” he said. “Pirate kingpins are getting away with what they are doing, they are investing in other businesses in Somalia to make more money.”
Top Somali pirate Mohamed Garfanji was arrested in Mogadishu in August but released in September. In January another pirate leader, Mohamed Hassan, announced his retirement. Both men were involved in ship hijackings and hostage takings.
Via: http://www.thenational.ae
