Pirates seize another vessel off Somali coast as threat level rises
Shipping routes off Somalia are once again under close scrutiny after a cargo vessel was seized in what authorities believe was a fresh piracy incident, prompting warnings that the danger to commercial traffic in the region is rising.
Harry SekulichMonday April 27, 2026
Shipping routes off Somalia are once again under close scrutiny after a cargo vessel was seized in what authorities believe was a fresh piracy incident, prompting warnings that the danger to commercial traffic in the region is rising.
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The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) lifted the threat level for the area to “substantial” after saying “unauthorised persons” took control of the ship on Sunday and forced it toward Somalia’s territorial waters.
At least four vessels have been targeted in suspected piracy incidents in the last week including a fishing vessel and oil tanker.
It is a stark reversal for a waterscape where piracy had largely faded from view until three years ago, after once being one of the most dangerous shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean. The threat, however, has steadily re-emerged.
“Due to the increased threat of possible PAG (Pirate Action Group) activity, vessels are advised to transit with caution,” the UKMTO said in a statement, adding that weather conditions are favourable for small boat operations.
The hijacking on Sunday took place six nautical miles off Garacad, Somalia, the UKMTO said in a statement. No further details were reported.
The UKMTO also issued a warning over a separate hijacking off the coast of Mareeyo, northern Somalia which occurred on 21 April.
Pirates also hijacked an oil tanker, Honour 25, with 17 crew that was sailing near the Somali coast on 22 April, according to multiple security officials speaking to the BBC.
Under the control of the pirates, the vessel, with a crew of 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan and one from Myanmar, anchored close to the Somali shore between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla.
The UKMTO also reported that a Somali-flagged fishing vessel had been seized on Thursday.
At least two armed people also attempted to board a cargo ship from a small boat on Thursday, the UKMTO reported, although they turned away after the cargo’s crew fired warning shots.
Between 2005 and 2012, pirates off the Horn of Africa raked in between $339m (£266m) and $413m (£325) by holding crew members hostage and demanding ransom payments, the World Bank has estimated.