Construction begins on anti-piracy centre in the Seychelles
Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham has welcomed an important milestone in the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean as building work started on building an anti-piracy centre in the Seychelles.
Commenting on the ground-breaking ceremony for the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution & Intelligence Coordination Centre (RAPPICC), the Minister said:
“I welcome the start of construction work on the RAPPICC, which has begun today. This centre will play a vital role in targeting the heart of the piracy operations: the leaders and financiers of piracy who feel as if they are able to act with impunity and hold innocent seafarers and the world’s trade to ransom. By targeting those at the top, the RAPPICC will perform a vital and unique function, and will support regional capacity in tackling serious organised crime in Somalia.”