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Somali pirates have attacked and hijacked an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, piracy off the coast of Somalia is a lucrative, organized criminal enterprise that’s been around for decades. Once they seize a vessel, the pirates usually hold the crew hostage for ransom, demanding anywhere from a few hundred thousand dollars to millions depending on the ship’s value and nationality. At the height of piracy between 2009 and 2012, ransoms averaged between $2 million and $5 million per ship, with total annual payouts exceeding $150 million in some years. Negotiations can drag on for weeks or months, often involving middlemen and financiers who take a significant share of the ransom.
What’s going on now: The attack was first reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which issued an alert describing the incident as an “illegal boarding.” According to UKMTO, “The Master of a vessel has reported being approached by one small craft on its stern. The small craft fired small arms and RPGs towards the vessel. Unauthorized personnel of the small craft have boarded the vessel.” The vessel in question is the Hellas Aphrodite, a Malta-flagged tanker transporting gasoline from India to South Africa. The attack occurred approximately 560 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia.
The pirates are believed to have deployed from a hijacked Iranian dhow named Issa Mohamadi, which maritime security officials believe has been used as a mother ship in multiple recent attacks. The ship had no armed security detail on board at the time of the attack, making it more vulnerable to a successful boarding.
All 24 crew members on board are in the ship’s citadel (a fortified safe room designed to protect them from hijackers). According to the vessel’s management company, Latsco Marine Management, “All 24 crew are safe and accounted for and we remain in close contact with them.” As of the latest reports, a Spanish frigate from the European Union’s anti-piracy force, Operation Atalanta, is en route to assist, though it was more than a day away at the time of the attack.
This attack follows several other recent piracy attempts in the region and highlights growing concerns over the resurgence of Somali pirate activity in the Indian Ocean.
More to come
