Thaindian News

BREMEN, GERMANY (BNO NEWS) — Somali pirates have seized a German-owned vessel in the Indian Ocean, the European Union Naval Force - Somalia (EUNAVFOR) confirmed on Tuesday, ending days of confusion over the ship’s status.

EU Naval Force spokesman Paddy O’Kennedy said the general cargo vessel MV Beluga Nomination was attacked by a skiff with an unknown number of pirates on Saturday afternoon as it was about 390 nautical miles (722 kilometers) north of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. “There is no information on the condition of the mixed crew of 12,” O’Kennedy said.

The confirmation ended four days of uncertainty about the status of the Antigua and Barbuda flagged, German-owned vessel. O’Kennedy said the crew members were all from Poland, the Philippines, Russia, and Ukraine.

Currently, Somali pirates are holding around 30 vessels with a total of more than 700 hostages, according to the European Union Naval Force - Somalia, which keeps a record of pirating incidents. Most hijackings usually end without casualties when a ransom has been paid. This, however, often takes many months.

In recent years, Somali pirates have hijacked hundreds of ships, taking in hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom. Ships are patrolling the shipping lanes near Somalia in an effort to reduce hijackings, but the anti-piracy force has warned that attacks are likely to continue.

According to a recent study, maritime piracy cost the global economy up to $12 billion last year, with Somalia-based pirates responsible for 95 percent of the costs.