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A merchant vessel was hijacked off the coast of Somalia over the weekend, marking a sharp escalation in maritime crime as piracy monitors report a series of coordinated seizures.
The Maritime Security Organisation of the Indian Ocean confirmed that a merchant ship was taken on Sunday, immediately following the capture of a dhow on Saturday.
This surge has forced international security agencies to upgrade the regional threat level to “substantial,” indicating a high probability of further attacks in the Somali Basin.
The UK Maritime Safety Organisation (UKMTO) further detailed the weekend’s volatility, reporting that pirates successfully boarded a cargo ship and an oil tanker in separate incidents.
Both vessels were redirected into Somali territorial waters, away from the safety of international shipping lanes.
These attacks follow a string of recent hijackings, including an oil tanker and a fishing vessel seized on April 23, signalling a return to the high-risk conditions not seen since the peak of piracy in 2011.
Security officials have identified an active “Pirate Action Group” operating along the coast and are advising commercial vessels to maintain extreme vigilance.
Shipping firms are being urged to stay at least 150 nautical miles away from the shoreline between Mogadishu and Hafun.
While international naval patrols and on-board security measures previously brought piracy to a near-halt, the current instability in the Horn of Africa is once again threatening the security of one of the world’s most vital trade routes.
