Suspected Somali Pirates Taken to Seychelles

A group of suspected Somali pirates has been aprehended and transported to justice officials in Seychelles, EU counter-piracy forces said.

The six men are accused of attempting to hijack the Marshall Islands-flagged merchant tanker vessel Chrystal Arctic in the Gulf of Aden on May 10.

After the failed attack about 100 naautical miles north of Bosaso, the suspected pirates were arrested by ATALANTA forces and treated for injuries of varying severity.

Then, an  ATALANTA warship transported the six suspected pirates to Seychelles for further actions and the resolution of the process.

(Photo: EUNAVFOR ATALANTA)

Under a legal agreement with Operation ATALANTA, Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off East Africa, is able to prosecute suspected pirates that have been arrested by warships in the area.

Since its inception in 2008, EUNAVFOR ATALANTA has transferred 177 suspected pirates to the competent authorities, of which 145 have been convicted.

While the current rate of pirate attacks off Somalia is significantly less than it was during the heights of 2008-2014, regional officials and industry sources are concerned the problem could escalate as shipping companies also contend with repeated drone and missile strikes by Yemen's Houthi militia in the Red Sea.