Suspected Pirates

Piracy – Warship Frees Captives off Somalia Coast

Pirates deprived of mothership dhow, crew freed, by Spanish warship The EU Naval Force Flagship ESPS Patino located a Yemeni registered dhow that was suspected of being involved in acts of piracy off the Somali coast. The previous day a merchant vessel had reported that it had evaded an attack by two skiffs.   As she was close by, ESPS Patino was tasked to investigate the scene, and when her helicopter arrived, it located a capsized skiff, with suspected pirates embarking onto the Yemini dhow. The dhow was confirmed as a suspected mother ship, previously observed at a pirate anchorage.  Authorisation was given for a team from Patino to board the dhow.  The 16 suspected pirates quickly surrendered to the EU Naval Forces and the 2 dhow crew members were freed. After coordinating with Yemeni authorities, the dhow and the two crewmembers were safely handed over to Yemeni Coast Guard near Yemeni territorial waters in the vicinity of Socotra Island. The suspect pirates, who no longer had the means to carry out attacks, were returned back to the shore.

EU NAVFOR, Seychelles Coastguard Cooperation

In the evening of December 6, approximately 250 nautical miles North West of Victoria Seychelles a pirate attack group was neutralized by EU NAVFOR and the Seychellois Coast Guard. On December 5th an EU NAVFOR Maritime Patrol Aircraft, stationed at the Seychelles, located a suspected pirate attack group with one mother skiff and two attack skiffs. EU NAVFOR French warship FS Floreal was tasked to close the group and the Seychellois Coast Guard also responded to the request by sending their

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

Spanish Warship Disrupts Suspected Pirates

Early on the morning of 28 March, the Seychellois flagged fishing vessel reported that a whaler and a skiff had approached her in a suspicious manner with automatic weapons and a Rocket Propelled Grenade(RPG) clearly visible. The EUNAVFOR warship immediately made her way to the scene and launched her SH-60B helicopter to investigate further.  After two attempts by the Whaler to flee the scene, the helicopter was forced to fire warning shots in front of the vessel to make it stop

Suspected Pirates Apprehended by EU NAVFOR

EU Naval Force Warship BNS Louise Marie Once Again Apprehends Suspect Pirates at Sea.     Just 12 days after EU Naval Force warship BNS Louise Marie apprehended five suspect pirates at sea off the Somali Coast, the Belgium frigate has once again located a suspect skiff - this time with three men on board.  The warship, which is operating as part of the European Union’s counter-piracy mission - Operation Atalanta

Somali Pirates Still a Menace

Dutch EU Naval Force Frigate 'De Ruyter' apprehends 9 suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia. A Panama-flagged merchant ship reported the presence of the pirate group and soon after the warship's helicopter located the two skiffs, whose occupants threw material overboard, and split up in an attempt to escape. The first skiff was stopped by assets of the Dutch frigate. The second skiff was located and stopped with support of the helicopter from the EU Naval Force flagship ESPS Mendez Nunez

Prison Sentence for Attack on FGS Spessart

EU NAVFOR said it welcomed the first judgment yesterday in a Kenyan prosecution in connection with the interdiction of a pirate group by an EU NAVFOR warship. The conviction involved seven Somali men accused of acts of piracy. The presiding Chief Magistrate, the Hon Rosemelle Mutoka CM, delivered the verdict at the Mombasa Law Courts on 6 September, sentencing the seven Somali men accused to prison sentences of five years as from the judgement date.

Piracy – Latest NATO Update

One ship hi-jacked (freed) one attack & one suspicious approach reports NATO in latest weekly report During the reporting period of 05 to 11 April 2012 there was one hijacking (which was subsequently freed), one attack and one suspicious approach in the high risk area (HRA). As it is now the monsoon transition period and the sea states continue to be favourable for small boats, it is expected that (PAG) activity will continue to increase.  

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.

Counter Piracy Commander Warns of Continuing Threat

The Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, has issued a renewed warning that Somali pirates are still determined to get out to sea and, if presented with an easy target, will attack. “I am very concerned that seafarers and nations will lower their guard and support for counter piracy operations in the belief that the piracy threat is over. It is not; it is merely contained," he said