Suspected Pirate

Nine Suspected Pirates Transferred to Seychelles

On Monday 25 February Dutch EU Naval Force frigate HNLMS De Ruyter transferred nine suspected pirates to the Seychelles authorities for prosecution.    The transfers happened after HNLMS De Ruyter, who was conducting counter piracy patrols, stopped two skiffs on 19 February 120 nautical miles off the Somali Coast and apprehended nine suspected pirates on board. During the operation, helicopters from both HNLMS De Ruyter and EU Naval Force flagship ESPS Mendez Nunez, together with the Spanish EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA), were able to locate the two skiffs and in a combined effort, stop them in the water approximately 200 nautical miles north east of Eyl. The nine men were then held on board HNLMS De Ruyter for further investigations and evidence collection in order to fully assess the possibility of prosecution.  The two attack skiffs were also seized. Today, after the Republic of the Seychelles agreed to take the nine suspected pirates for prosecution, De Ruyter, who is currently alongside Port Victoria, transferred the men to the Seychelles’ Authorities. Speaking about the second successful transfer of suspected pirates by the EU Naval Force within the past 5 weeks, the Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant said “I welcome the decision of the Republic of the Seychelles to once again prosecute those suspected of attacking ships at sea

EU NAVFOR Prevents Pirate Attack, Somali Basin

On October 13, 2009, a helicopter from the EU NAVFOR German warship Bremen, identified suspected pirate craft in the Somali Basin. The suspect craft were made up of a mother skiff and two smaller skiffs, near the islands of Seychelles. The EU NAVFOR helicopter fired warning shots and the skiffs stopped. The crew from the helicopter observed that the suspected pirates threw a number of items over board. A boarding party from the German warship found on the skiff grappling hooks, ammunition

USS Boxer, Counterpiracy in Gulf of Aden

In a show of international sea power in the Gulf of Aden, seven nations representing three task forces coordinated efforts to pursue a skiff after the pirates on board opened fire on a German oiler, the Federal German Ship (FGS) Spessart, March 29. At approximately 3 p.m. local, FGS Spessart, reported they were being attacked by pirates who may have mistaken the naval supply ship for a commercial merchant vessel. An embarked security team aboard the ship returned fire on the suspected

Piracy – Pirates Scuttle Own Boat, Sent Home 400 Miles Empty Handed

Would-be pirates apprehended by French warship sent back to Somalia after sinking their own raiding boat EU Counter Piracy Naval Forces (EUNAVFOR) have tracked down and stopped a group of suspected pirates who were believed to have tried to attack a Hong-Kong flagged tanker approximately 400 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. EU Naval Force warship FS Aconit was called to investigate after the tanker came under attack on 26 March 2012

Piracy – Another Pirate Attack Group Snaffled

Pirate group scuttled by EU naval force off Horn of Africa The French Navy frigate Acconit was heading towards a position in the north of the Horn of Africa to join with Spanish frigate Infanta Elena, to take over the escort of a World Food Programme ship, then FS Aconit spotted a whaler towing a skiff. The long way off-shore location, nearly 600 km, and the absence of fishing activity raised the suspicion of Aconit's command and the order was given to intercept the whaler.

Somali Pirates Jailed by Kenyan Court

Seven Somali's found guilty of piracy against a French fishing vessel, sentenced to 20 years. Following a terrifying attack against the MV Captain St. Vincent in October 2009 the pirates, operating in 2 attack skiffs, were located by a EU an Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) warship that was conducting counter-piracy patrols nearby. A boarding team from the warship detained the suspect pirates, and they were subsequently transferred to Kenya for trial. 

Pirate Hunter HDMS Absalon Returns Home

Following an eight-month deployment, Sailors aboard HDMS Absalon (L-16) are returning home to Denmark. Absalon spent the last time of their deployment participating in Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, a multinational task force conducting counterpiracy operations to detect and deter piracy in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Red Sea. During her deployment and her time with CTF 151, Absalon made contact with more than 80 suspected pirates during the deployment

EU NAVFOR Destroys More Pirate Groups

On March 12, after receiving a report from MV E.R. Lubeck (Liberian Flag, German owner), that pirates in two skiffs had tried to hijack her, COMEUNAVFOR initiated a surge operation to intercept and disrupt the pirate action group (PAG). The EU NAVFOR Flagship ITS Etna tasked the EUNAVFOR Swedish and Luxemburg Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and EUNAVFOR Warship HNLMS Tromp against the PAG consisting of one mother skiff and two skiffs.

Piracy in Somali Basin Surges

According to a May 14 report from the Xinhua News Agency, The European Union (EU) naval force protecting shipping off Somalia said that the number of pirate ships operating between the Seychelles and the Somali coast has skyrocketed in the last three months. The EU force, along with NATO and others, has interrupted and dismantled over 60 pirate groups and processed roughly 400 suspected pirates in the last 12 weeks alone -- three times the number of piracy groups recorded last year according

Somali Pirates Sleep Not

EU Naval Force Belgian Frigate 'BNS Louise-Marie' apprehends five suspected pirates off Somali coast. Directed to the scene by ship's helicopter, BNS Louise-Marie issued verbal warnings to the skiff whose crew quickly raised their hands. The boarding party was deployed to apprehend the five suspected pirates on board the skiff, which was equipped with a ladder and a boarding hook, and it eventually  taken on board the frigate.