A man alleged to be
one of Somalia's most influential pirate leaders has been arrested in Belgium.
Mohammed Abdi Hassan, also known as Afweyneh
or Big Mouth, was detained at Brussels international airport on Saturday after
a sting operation.
Undercover agents had persuaded the Somali
and an associate that they wanted to make a documentary about their pirate
exploits.
Mr Abdi Hassan now faces criminal charges,
including hijacking.
Prosecutors believe that the Somali was
behind the seizure of a Belgian ship in 2009, reports the BBC's Chris Morris in
Brussels.
Mr Abdi Hassan is also charged with
kidnapping the ship's crew and with belonging to a criminal organisation.
'Notorious'
In January, Mohammed Abdi Hassan was reported
to have said that he had renounced crime after eight years in the
piracy business.
However, Belgian authorities say he made
millions from his illegal activities, and will be held responsible.
Belgian vessels have in the past taken part
in international missions against piracy on the high seas off Somalia.
In a UN report leaked last year, it was
alleged that Afweyneh was "one of the most notorious and influential
leaders of the Hobyo-Harardhere Piracy Network".
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