Attempted piracy attacks against merchant ships in the Indian Ocean have been on the rise recently, while for the first time since 2012 a cargo ship seized in mid-December 2023 continues to be held off Somalia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Off Somalia, Navibulgar’s 41,600 dwt dry bulk carrier Ruen, built in 2016, is the first commercial vessel seized by Somali pirates in years. Ruen is owned and operated by the Bulgarian company Navigation Maritime Bulgare JSC (Navibulgar), according to data from the Equasis database.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Maritime Security Center in the Horn of Africa (MSCHOA), a monitoring agency, has counted six confirmed cases of piracy and three attempted piracy attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On November 26, 2023, the Liberian-flagged tanker Central Park, which had been seized by pirates, was freed by US forces. On December 14, 2023 the bulk carriers \u201cRuen\u201d was captured by pirates and is still off the coast of Somalia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Confirmed piracy occurred on 04 January 2024 on the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Lila Norfolk. The ship was released by the Indian Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On January 27, 2024, an attempted piracy took place on the Liberian-flagged Bulk carrier Waimea. There was an exchange of fire between armed guards and the pirate vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also a suspicious vessel approach took place on January 28, 2024 on the US-flagged container ship MSC Clementina and on January 29, 2024 on the Panamanian-flagged tanker Panta Rei without any further information on the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently two fishing boats, one from Iran and the other from Sri Lanka, which had been seized by Somali pirates were freed by the naval forces in Seychelles and after the intervention of the Indian Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations has warned that pirate action groups are likely to be active in the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Sunday, January 28, UKMTO (United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations) reported that a boat with five people “aggressively” approached a ship 70 nautical miles northwest of Bosasso, Somalia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
International security officials say the outcome of the MV RUEN case will be decisive for the future of piracy, as it will serve as a test to see whether the venture remains profitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the escalation of incidents occurs as the naval presence in the region has been deployed to counter Houthi attacks from Yemen against international shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the southern Red Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Indian Ocean Commission, a UN-appointed anti-piracy group, wants the UN to hold an emergency meeting to consider how to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“These incidents indicate a significant uptick in piracy activity,” the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Piracy was rampant off Somalia for four years from 2008, but then went dormant for about five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) annual report recorded 120 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2023 compared to 115 in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2023 annual report reveals that 105 ships were boarded, nine were attempted attacks, four were hijacked and two were fired upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The number of incidents reported in 2023 increased slightly compared to 2022. The International Maritime Bureau IMB calls for attention to crew safety as the number of crews held hostage and kidnapped increased from 41 to 73 people and from two to 14 in 2022 and 2023 respectively. A further 10 crew members were threatened, four were injured and one was attacked in 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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