EU, Indian navies take over ship used by pirates off Somalia to seize tanker
According to the EU Naval Force, by the time the naval teams boarded the dhow, the pirates had abandoned it, leaving the original crew onboard.
Naval forces from the European Union and India have secured an Iranian-flagged dhow that pirates used as a "mother ship" in last week's hijacking of the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite.
The tanker, transporting gasoline from India to South Africa, was hijacked off the Somali coast after pirates used the Issamohamadi, a traditional Persian Gulf dhow, as a mobile base to launch a series of attacks.
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"The Iranian-flagged dhow used as a mother ship in the piracy incident involving the Merchant Tanker Hellas Aphrodite has been liberated," the EU naval mission, Operation ATALANTA, said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The dhow, abandoned by the alleged pirates on the North-Western coast of Somalia, was closely tracked and monitored by the Operation's flagship, ESPS VICTORIA, and an Indian Navy warship."
According to the EU Naval Force, by the time the naval teams boarded the dhow, the pirates had abandoned it, leaving the original crew onboard.
"EUNAVFOR ATALANTA has carried out the necessary verifications and searches on board to ensure the security of the crew. In addition, a medical team has checked the crewmembers, who are in good condition, safe and free," said the naval force.
It added that the raid had disrupted the pirate group and that evidence from the dhow and tanker would be submitted to support legal action against those involved.
"ATALANTA forces on board the dhow have gathered evidence and intelligence of the incident that, together with the evidence collected on board Merchant Tanker HELLAS APHRODITE, will be submitted to support the legal prosecution of the perpetrators," said the EU Naval Force.
"To achieve this end, ATALANTA continues working with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Puntland Federal Government to locate and apprehend the alleged pirates."
Piracy off Somalia, which reached a peak in 2011 with 237 attacks, has been rising again after years of decline due to stronger naval patrols and improved governance.
In the same year, piracy attacks off the Somali coast cost the global economy around $7 billion (Sh904 billion), including $160 million (Sh20.7 billion) in ransoms, according to Oceans Beyond Piracy, a non-profit foundation that works to end maritime piracy.
The recent hijacking of the Hellas Aphrodite, the first commercial vessel seized in the region since May 2024, shows that shipping in these waters remains at risk.
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