A group of 28 suspected Somali pirates captured in the Indian Ocean on Sunday have been handed over to police in the Indian city of Mumbai.

本周日在印度洋海域被捕的28名索马里海盗嫌疑犯已经被移交至印度孟买警方。

Analysts¹ say pirates increasingly operate off the coast of India" src="http://www.enread.com/upimg/allimg/110211/1_110211062402_1.jpg" width="304" height="171" />
Analysts say pirates increasingly operate off the coast of India
They were apprehended²（逮捕） aboard a Thai fishing trawler by the Indian navy and coastguard. Twenty-four fishermen held since last April were also rescued.

The pirates are due to appear in court in Mumbai.

Piracy³ in the Indian Ocean has been on the increase as pirates seek to avoid naval⁴ patrols elsewhere.

The men were shown to media aboard an Indian coastguard vessel⁵ with their hands and feet bound and cloths covering their faces.

This is thought to be among the largest group of pirates to be captured.

The pirates had demanded a ransom⁶（赎金） of $9m (£6m) for the release of the 24 fishermen after they hijacked⁷ the Thai trawler last April.

Indian officials said that the fishing vessel was being used as a "mothership" to launch other attacks in the Indian Ocean.

Assault rifles

The Commander of the Indian Coast Guard, Inspector⁸ General SPS Basra, warned that the attacks by pirates off the Indian coast have become increasingly more violent.

"In the recent times, Somali pirates have mounted attacks within 250 to 300 nautical⁹ miles（海里） off the coast of India.

"The level of force used by pirates over that period has shown an exponential（指数的） increase, as well as it is more brutal¹⁰（残忍的） and lethal¹¹."

Officials recovered AK-47 assault rifles and various other weapons from the vessels¹².

Inspector General Basra also said the surveillance of the Indian Ocean would have to be stepped up as naval patrols in busy shipping¹³ lanes（大洋航线） off the Horn of Africa had led pirates further afield.

In January 2010, 15 suspected pirates were captured near the Lakshadweep Islands off the coast of the state of Kerala. They are now facing trial in India.