The dhow was freed at the weekend after its crew had been held hostage for 14 days by six armed pirates.
“The master stated that the pirates had forced him and his crew to sail to the Gulf of Aden, where they had planned to use the dhow as a ‘mother ship’ to attack merchant ships at sea,” EU Navfor said.
The pirates fled the dhow after it was approached by German warship FGS Brandenberg and reconnaissance aircraft. The pirates stole electronic equipment and personal items from the crew before fleeing the dhow.
“This event confirms that the piracy threat is still very real. The deterrence and swift action by EU Naval Force has once again denied freedom of action to pirates,” said Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen, EU Force Commander.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Maritime News to your Google News feed.
