Pirates Hijack Tanker in Somali Basin

EU NAVFOR reports that the oil tanker M/V POLAR was pirated in the Somali Basin early Saturday morning. The Panama-flagged vessel was attacked before dawn, about 580 nautical miles east from Socotra Island. Greek ship manager Paradise Navigation S.A. who manages the tanker has confirmed that the ship is under pirate control and is moving towards the Somali coast. In a statement release Monday Paradise Navigation S.A. said they have “a comprehensive range of security measures that are implemented by the crew of all their vessels when sailing in the Gulf of Aden or off the Somalia Coast.” Twenty four crew members are on board, comprising 3 Greek nationals, 3 Montenegrin, 1 Serbian, 1 Romanian and 16 Filipinos. EU NAVFOR says they are monitoring the situation. Photo courtesy of Paradise Navigation S.A.