Somali Pirate Group Abandons Dhow Citing Increased Security Warnings

dhow off Somalia — Pirates gave up one dhow with reports they were running out of supplies and ships were heading the security warnings (Indian Navy file photo)

One of what appear to have been several pirate action groups on the prowl in recent days in the Gulf of Aden has reportedly abandoned their efforts. The French news agency AFP, citing sources in the Puntland region of Somalia, says the group was running low on supplies aboard a seized dhow and that the warnings from MSCIO and Atalanta have increased the security posture across the region.

An 11-member pirate action group reportedly had set out from the Garacad region in Somalia in late April. Following the now familiar tactics, they found an Emirati dhow, Fahad-4, which was reported to be laden with a cargo of lemons. They seized the vessel and made it their mothership to begin the prowl for a lucrative merchant ship target.

MSCIO reports that the Fahad-4 was “almost certain” the vessel used to approach the tanker Minerva Pisces, a Malta-flagged 105,475-dwt crude oil tanker. The vessel was in transit, likely fully laden, from Saudi Arabia to Kenya when it was approached on April 28.

According to the report, a mothership crossed the bow of the tanker, coming within about 1.2 nautical miles. A skiff was then spotted approaching and came within 400 meters of the tanker. The Minerva Pisces increased speed and executed evasive maneuvers while its boarded security personnel displayed weapons. The skiff withdrew when it saw the armed guards. The tanker arrived in Mombasa without further incidents.

The group appears to have remained on the prowl, but there were repeated warnings posted by the authorities after a series of incidents. According to the sources speaking to AFP, the group abandoned the dhow on May 4.

While this one group has been at least temporarily stopped, at least three other merchant ships have been seized and remain in the hands of the pirates. Today, MSCIO issued a notice reporting the boarding of the tanker Eureka on May 2. It says the tanker was seized while at anchorage off Qana Port, Shabwa, Yemen. Atalanta is tracking the tanker and reports it was underway toward the Somali coast.

In April, pirates seized the Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker. Days later, another group took control of the Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo ship Sward. Both ships remain under the control of pirates off the coast of Somalia.

AFP cites analysts who speculated the current surge in pirate activity could, in part, be due to the jump in oil prices, making tankers more lucrative targets. They report that the renewed activity, which started in late 2023, may also have been due to the diverting of resources to address the strikes coming from the Houthis in Yemen.

Reports from Pakistan indicate that a local authority was able to make contact with the pirates controlling the Honour 25. However, the pirates refused to deal with them, demanding that representatives of the Pakistani government lead the negotiations. The report says there are 17 crew on the tanker, including 10 from Pakistan. The pirates are also reported to be seeking contact with the governments of Indonesia, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, as the other seven crew aboard the tanker are from those countries.

At least two vessels had reported approaches over the past few weeks, but used their armed guards to scare off the pirates. In one case, there was a report of an exchange of gunfire before the pirates withdrew. MSCIO and Atalatan have been warning ships to remain at least 150 nautical miles from the coast and avoid the region if possible.