Somali pirates seized a merchant ship for the first time in five years
Somali pirates for the first time since 2012, has successfully captured a merchant ship, reports Reuters with reference to the Somali authorities.
Seized oil tanker Aris 13 belongs to the company from the United Arab Emirates.
According to the employee of the assistance group Oceans Beyond Piracy Joan Steed, the ship sent a distress signal, disabled the tracking system and headed for the Somali coast. “The crew reported that yesterday he was followed by two boats, after which he disappeared,” said steed.
As have informed Agency in the government of Sri Lanka, whose flag was a ship, on Board of the tanker there were eight people.
Head of the private Maritime security company Graeme Gibbon-Brooks told the news Agency that the ship was an easy target because I was moving slowly and close to shore.
In its heyday in 2011, Somali pirates carried out 237 attacks off the Somali coast and took hundreds of hostages, the Agency said. Their activity fell after the owners have tightened security and began to avoid the coast of Somalia.