Press Releases

The chemical tanker Marshall Island flagged UBT Ocean hijacked on Friday, is now reported in the vicinity off the pirate stronghold east of Haradere.

The Kenyan flagged fishing vessel SAKOBA is reported hijacked 400 NM east of Dar Es Salam.

Early this morning an EU NAVFOR Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft from Djibout patrolling the Somali Basin received a distress call from Spanish F/V INTERTUNA 2 reporting that she was under attack by 4 skiffs.

As EU NAVFOR reported in a previous press release, several pirate attack groups are operating in the Southern Indian Ocean between Seychelles and Kenya.

Over the weekend of 5 – 7 March, EU NAVFOR units have been involved in concerted operations to interdict and disrupt pirate action groups before they had the opportunity to pirate vessels in the Indian Ocean.

EU NAVFOR can confirm that early this morning a Thailand flagged fishing vessel (Thai Union 3) was released by pirates from the port of Haradeere after the payment of a ransom.

A Marshall Island flagged chemical tanker, UBT Ocean, is reported to have been hijacked on Friday morning 300 nautical miles from Dar El Salam.

Early this morning, in the southern Indian Ocean, between the Seychelles and Mombasa a pirate group of 1 mother ship and 2 skiffs was intercepted by EU NAVFOR.

EU NAVFOR can report that earlier this morning, 4 March, the 2,100 tonnes Spanish Fishing Vessel Albacan was attacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean.

EU NAVFOR has been informed that on Monday 1st of March a Merchant Vessel, the Saudi Arabia-flagged Product tanker, in ballast, AL NISR AL SAUDI with deadweight of 5,136 tonnes, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.

EU NAVFOR can now confirm that the Greek owned Panama flagged Bulk Carrier the MV NAVIOS APOLLON that was hijacked on the 28 of December has been released this morning of 28 February.

EU NAVFOR can confirm that on the morning of 27 February a ransom drop was successfully made for the release of the Greek owned  Panama flagged Bulk Carrier, the MV NAVIOS APOLLON. The MV NAVIOS APOLLON was hijacked on the 28 of December approximately 200 nautical miles East of the Seychelles.