News

Seven armed pirates have boarded the 'Asana', enroute from Karachi to Bossaso, in the Gulf of Aden, about 65 nautical miles south of Mukalla o on July 17, 2026. The tanker, which had no confirmed flag, was sailing toward the Somali port of Bosaso before the incident occurred. It was taken towards the northeastern coast of Somalia, moving slowly across the Gulf of Aden, at one stage making around two knots and broadcasting Bosaso as its destination. On July 19, the tanker was moved to waters off Caluula in Puntland’s Bari region, suggesting the pirates had successfully completed the crossing from Yemen. Efforts were underway to assist the 'Asana' and establish the circumstances surrounding the boarding. A South Korean warship was operating in the area. Details about the number of assailants, the circumstances of the boarding, and the status of the vessel and its crew remained unclear. The tanker had issued a distress call at around 06:20 a.m. GMT. It did not have an armed security team on board when the incident occurred. The attackers were likely members of a pirate action group. The vessel's operator was identified as the Marshall Islands-based Exon Energy. The pirates stated that there were 20 people on board, among them 10 Philippinos and eight Germans, who were allegedly supplied by locals.

The 'PM Crown', while transiting the Malacca Strait enroute to Singapore on July 5, 2026, at 5 a.m., was boarded by an unknown number of perpetrators in pos. 1° 11.80' N 103° 25.10' E. While the crew members were not injured, some ship's properties and stores were stolen.

A Special Court In Mumbai gave a life imprisonment verdict to the 44 Somali Pirates in two different judgments. The pirates pleaded guilty to the charges after they were arrested in anti-piracy operations by the Indian Armed Forces in 2024. 35 of them were tried for hijacking the 'Ruen-, and the remaining nine were sentenced for hijacking the Iranian fishing vessel 'Al-Kambar 786'. All the accused were present in court, and on July 6, 2026, the 34 pirates involved in the 'Ruen' case signed a written plea where they admitted being guilty of the crime. They also wrote that they faced hardships during the two years of judicial custody due to linguistic, dietary and cultural barriers and also the absence of any form of support. They also mentioned that charges against them had been framed on May 13, after considerable delays. After having understood all the charges against them, they voluntarily pleaded guilty without any coercion or pressure, despite knowing that the offences could lead to maximum punishment, but requested the court to be lenient in its decision, saying they come from poor families and from an allied country. They also pleaded for a minimum possible sentence, with any possible diplomatic arrangements between Somalia and India. A similar plea was put forward by the accused in the 'Al-Kambar 786' case, who were arrested in 2024. The proceedings began after submissions by Special Public Prosecutor Ranjit Sangle. Charges against them were pressed under the Indian Penal Code, Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, Passport Act, and Foreigners Act. These were explained to one of the accused, named Li Jama, in English, who then explained it to the others, ensuring they understood the proceedings and the charges against them clearly.

The 'Southern Hawk', while being moored at the Bahodopi Anchorage, was boarded by an unknown number of perpetrators on June 30, 2026, at 4.30 a.m. in pos. 2°0.85' S 122° 0.22' E. The intruders stole ship's properties and stores.

The 'Jin Hwa 45', while towing the barge 'Jin Hwa 37' off Pulau Batam, was boarded by three perpetrators in the South China Sea on June 21, 2026, at 3 a.m. in pos. 1° 30.36' N 104° 54.09' E. The intruders stole ship's properties and stores.