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Hargeysa,
Somaliland February 19, 2009— Berbera regional court sentenced seven
pirates each to 20 years of prison after the court found them guilty on
Wednesday.
The pirates were arrested in Berbera earlier this month after the
security forces discovered that the group were preparing themselves for
a piracy operation inside Somaliland waters. The seven men, five of whom
are from the neighboring Somali region of Puntland and two Somalilanders
were arrested with a number of weapons including Ak-47, RPJ and some
explosives.
The court announced their sentences Wednesday and ordered their weapons
to be handed to the security forces in the region.
This is not the first time the same court sentenced pirates from
Puntland - at least two other groups were found guilty of planning a
piracy activities in Somaliland. Somaliland is so far combating piracy
successfully in its territory without any international support.
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