An Indian warship on anti-piracy patrols in the Arabian Sea has apprehended 19 foreign nationals on board a dhow. It was sailing suspiciously off the Bitra Island in the Lakshadweep Islands chain. INS Rajput, a Destroyer, was on patrol in the Exclusive Economic Zone west of Bitra when it spotted the dhow. Navy spokesperson said in New Delhi today that the dhow is being escorted to Kavaratti in the Lakshadweep Islands to be handed over to the police. The Navy has also received reports about Merchant Tanker Polar, a Panama-flagged vessel, hijacked on October 30 this year, being in the area and acting as a possible mother ship.AIR correspondent reports, the successful operation comes just four days after India deployed a multi-ship force in the Arabian Sea, which has been witnessing a spurt in piracy in the recent weeks, to ward off the sea brigands operating there. A merchant vessel BBC Orinoco had come under attack about 450 nautical miles off the Mumbai coast on 11th of November this year and the Navy had provided assistance to sanitise the cargo ship.The decision to deploy the warships in anti-piracy patrol was taken as movement of pirate vessels were reported in the eastern part of Arabian Sea between November 24th and 29th about 350 to 700 nautical miles of India's west coast.