Three suspected pirates were released at sea in a small dinghy after being detained for six weeks on a Danish warship off the coast of West Africa. The Danish Armed Forces claimed that they had been unsuccessful in locating a country in the vicinity willing to take the alleged pirates into custody. As a result, the men were released near Nigerian seas, with enough food and fuel to make it to land. One of the suspects who was taken to Ghana has been transferred to Denmark to face a charge of attempted manslaughter. According to the Danish Justice Ministry, it was not possible to securely release him at sea. But charges against the other three were dropped, according to their lawyers. The detained suspect’s lawyer, Birgitte Skjodt, chastised the decision to press charges against him. However, Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup defended Denmark’s decision, reasoning that it would dissuade other pirates from attacking.

This is the first time a piracy suspect has been deported to Denmark. The country does not have an extradition agreement with the nations around the Gulf of Guinea coast. The suspected pirates were apprehended in November after a tragic firefight in the Gulf of Guinea following their alleged attack on a container ship. For years, the Gulf of Guinea, with its oil and gas tankers, has been regarded as a piracy hotspot. Other factors contributing to the surge in piracy in the area include political instability, a lack of law enforcement, and land poverty. National authorities and foreign naval ships, on the other hand, have strengthened their efforts to fortify security in the region.