31/05/08 (B450) Press TV / Comme nous le pensions, les pirates du Puntland ne pourraient pas développer leurs activités sans l’aide des autorités. Combien leurs reversent-il ? (En Anglais – Info lecteur)

‘Somali pirates aided by Puntland police’

Somali pirates receive daily supplies of weapons provided for them by the Puntland State’s police, the Ministry of Fisheries claims.

The Minister of Fisheries of the northeastern Somali region of Putland Mohamed Saeed Aw Nur has accused the autonomous state’s police of equipping the pirates with hardware including missiles and speedboats, a Press TV correspondent has learned.

Having found out about the collusion, the minister is said to have left office.

The pirates have reportedly hijacked three European -one Turkish, one Dutch and one German- cargo ships, during their most recent seizures.

So far only Germany has confirmed the hijacking.

The pirates, however, have vowed to remain a threat for the foreign vessels off the Somali coast until those of them in French custody were released.