Recent developments in the behaviour of Somali pirates who prey upon shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean has made the prospects for ocean freight that moves within the region even more hazardous.

On Monday the Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker, the BW Lion, was attacked
almost 1,000 miles east of the Somali coast. The vessel was assaulted
by two skiffs that fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled
grenades (RPG) at it, but the captain was able to evade by increasing
speed and conducting evasive manoeuvres.

Though attacks have been launched at increasing distances for the last
year, this event is the furthest recorded attack by pirates and is a
further indication that the pirates are increasingly able to avoid
patrols by the multi-national naval task force in the area by staging
further out in converted ‘mother-ships’.

In related news come reports that the pirates have also seized a vessel
that is alleged to be carrying a quantity of illegal arms. Andrew
Mwangura of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme told
Reuters that a UAE-flagged ship, which he asserts is using the fake
name of Al Mizan, was hijacked on Sunday and is now being held near the
northern Somali town of Garacad.

Mr. Mwangura asserts that the ship is heavily involved in supplying the
pirates with the arms they use for their attacks in direct
contravention of the UN arms embargo to the country. Though the reasons
for the seizure remain open to conjecture, it certainly adds an extra
dimension to what is already an immensely complicated situation.

Source: Handy Shipping Guide

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• Spanish Navy bothers Pirates

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• Indian seafarers to reach Mumbai after he was released by Somali pirates

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• Say Somali pirates seized two more vessels

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• Pirates use Indian dhow from Somalia: Maritime official

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• EU rescue fleet, Pakistan abandoned ship by Somali pirates

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