Puntland Suspends Mudug Police Commander After Pirate Prisoners Escape

GAROWE — Puntland’s police command has suspended the Mudug Regional Police Commander, Colonel Mahmoud Muse Bile (Fardafuul), following the escape of detained pirate suspects who had been captured during a maritime operation, according to officials.

Bile has been temporarily replaced by his deputy, Ayuub Said Ali Dheeg, who is now serving as acting commander of the Mudug Regional Police Division.

The suspension follows the escape of pirate suspects who had been transported from Garacad after being captured during an operation to seize the hijacked vessel SIBU 1. The escape occurred on September 26 and was followed by a confrontation that left one of the pirate detainees dead and another injured.

The detainees had been captured after Puntland forces took control of the SIBU 1, one of the vessels hijacked by Somali pirates operating along the Puntland coast. As reported in FTL Somalia’s coverage of the SIBU 1 operation, the rescue involved a 48-hour maritime and land action that resulted in one pirate killed, four wounded, and 41 taken into custody.

Approximately 30 Pirates Still in Custody

Puntland is still holding other suspected pirates captured during recent anti-piracy operations. The number of detainees in its custody is now believed to be close to 30, including suspects captured from the Honour 25 and SIBU 1 vessels.

The escape has raised concerns over security and the procedures used to guard pirates detained during maritime operations. The suspension of the Mudug police commander is among the measures taken following the incident.

Colonel Bile had previously been involved in security operations in Mudug. In July 2026, he called on residents to cooperate with security agencies after intercepting a vehicle carrying 250 military uniforms in Galkayo. He also attended the funeral of Lieutenant Colonel Guuleed Abdulkadir Kadleeye, the Jarriiban District Police Commander, who was killed in July 2026.

The Honour 25 Operation

The escape of prisoners from the SIBU 1 operation comes amid a broader surge in piracy off Somalia’s coast. On September 30, Puntland authorities announced that five crew members were killed on board the hijacked oil tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces rescued the vessel.

The Honour 25, a Palau-flagged vessel carrying 18,500 barrels of oil, was seized by pirates on April 21, 2026, off Somalia’s northern coast. The Puntland Maritime Police Force announced that a rescue operation had freed the ship and captured 16 suspected pirates. According to the Puntland Information Ministry, “Before the operation began, the pirates on board the ship killed five of the crew. Among those killed were three from Pakistan, one from Myanmar and one from India.”

Four other crew members, three Pakistanis and one Indian, were injured. Pakistan’s foreign ministry later confirmed the identities of the three Pakistani sailors killed: Rafi Ullah Khan, Syed Kashif Umer and Mahmood Ahmed Ansari.

The piracy resurgence has been driven in part by the diversion of international naval assets toward the Red Sea, creating a security vacuum that pirate groups have exploited. As detailed in FTL Somalia’s coverage of the government’s response, Somalia has called for renewed international cooperation to address the crisis.

Critical Note

The suspension of the Mudug police commander is a necessary accountability measure following the escape of pirate suspects from custody. The incident exposed serious weaknesses in the handling and transfer of detainees captured during maritime operations, and the decision to replace the regional commander signals that Puntland’s leadership is taking the breach seriously.

However, the escape is not merely a matter of individual negligence. It points to systemic challenges in Puntland’s security architecture, including inadequate detention facilities, unclear chains of custody for maritime detainees, and the difficulty of securing prisoners in a region where clan dynamics and resource constraints complicate every aspect of law enforcement. If nearly 30 suspected pirates are currently in Puntland’s custody, the question is whether the systems exist to hold them securely and bring them to trial.

The broader context is also relevant. The piracy resurgence off Somalia’s coast has placed unprecedented pressure on Puntland’s maritime police force, which has conducted multiple rescue operations in recent weeks while simultaneously managing the detention of dozens of captured pirates. As reported in FTL Somalia’s coverage of the IMO warning, more than 90 seafarers are still being held hostage across multiple vessels. The escape of prisoners from the SIBU 1 operation suggests that the force’s detention and transfer procedures have not kept pace with its operational tempo. For Puntland’s counter-piracy efforts to succeed, the legal and custodial systems that support them must be strengthened alongside the maritime capabilities.