A European Union warship that arrested six suspected Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Friday is delivering them to the Seychelles to face justice.
TradeWinds reported on 10 May how an EU frigate apprehended the Somalis, who had earlier failed to board the 75,000-dwt product tanker Chrystal Arctic (built 2010) as it was sailing 92 nautical miles (170 km) northwest of the Somali port of Bosaso.
In an update on 12 May, the EUNAVFOR naval force said the warship was heading to the Seychelles now, “for further actions and the resolution of the process”.
The Seychelles is one of the nations that signed an agreement with the EU that allows for the trial of suspected pirates arrested by European warships.
This is the first known case of European forces managing to apprehend suspected pirates after Somali piracy resurged in the region late last year.
The Indian Navy, by contrast, has repeatedly arrested suspected pirates who attacked large merchant ships and small fishing boats in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The unidentified EUNAVFOR frigate intervened on Friday after armed guards on the Chrystal Arctic repelled the piracy attack by exchanging fire with the six Somalis approaching on a skiff.
Some of the suspected pirates were injured in the incident and received treatment on the EU warship that arrested them.
The Chrystal Arctic continued its journey and was sailing early on Monday in the Red Sea.
The ship, which is listed with Singapore-based Executive Ship Management, is underway from India towards Egypt with a cargo of jet fuel oil.
