US Navy Seizes Aden Pirate Booty

Sailors stack a cache of more than 1,000 AK-47 automatic rifles aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham. US Navy Photo by Jonathan Clay.

MANAMA, Bahrain — The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham seized an illicit weapons shipment found aboard a stateless skiff in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, Aug. 28 now at counted 2,521 AK-47 automatic rifles.

The count follows an initial estimate of over 1,000 rifles. The skiff was determined to be stateless following a flag verification boarding, conducted in accordance with international law. The origin and intended destination of the skiff have not yet been determined.

“We are actively involved in searching for illegal weapons shipments of all kinds,” said Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, and the Combined Maritime Forces. “Ensuring the flow of commerce for legitimate traffic continues to be paramount to the U.S. Navy and its regional partners and allies.” 

The seizure comes after four weapons seizures in 2015 and 2016 accomplished by Combined Maritime Forces and U.S. 5th Fleet assets.

The first seizure was by Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Melbourne Sept. 27, 2015, when it intercepted a dhow containing 75 anti-tank guided munitions, four tripods with associated equipment, four launch tubes, two launcher assembly units and three missile guidance sets.

The second seizure was by the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Darwin, which intercepted a dhow Feb. 27, 2016, confiscating nearly 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 81 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 49 PKM general purpose machine guns, 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 60mm mortar tubes.

The third seizure was by the French Navy destroyer FS Provence March 20, 2016, and yielded again almost 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 64 Dragunov sniper rifles, nine anti-tank missiles and six PK machine guns with bipods.

The fourth seizure was by U.S. Navy coastal patrol ship USS Sirocco (PC 6) operating as part of U.S. 5th Fleet March 28, 2016, when it intercepted a dhow containing 1,500 AK-47s, 200 RPG launchers and 21 .50 caliber machine guns.

The United Kingdom-based investigative organization Conflict Armament Research studied and linked three of the caches to weapons that plausibly derive from Iranian stockpiles.

Based on crew interviews, a review of onboard records and an examination of the arms aboard the vessel, the United States concluded that the arms from the four interdictions in 2015 and 2016 originated in Iran and were intended to be delivered to the Houthis in Yemen in contravention of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216.