Negotiations linked to ransom demands are underway for the release of three merchant vessels and their crew members being held by Somali pirates, a senior maritime security official said on Wednesday, as piracy incidents continue to pose a threat in parts of the Western Indian Ocean.
The three vessels — oil tankers Honour 25 and Eureka, along with cargo ship Sward — were hijacked in separate incidents between April and May off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, according to recent reports by the International Maritime Organisation.
The ships are carrying a total of 44 crew members. The prolonged detention of the vessels and their crews has renewed concerns over the resurgence of piracy in the region, where maritime authorities have continued to monitor attacks and attempted hijackings.
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Vijay D Chafekar, executive director of the ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia) Information Sharing Centre, said negotiations involving the countries where the vessels are officially registered, the ship owners and the pirates were being conducted confidentially.
He said the secrecy surrounding the talks was necessary due to concerns over the safety and security of the crew members being held captive. Authorities and ship owners are understood to be working through negotiations aimed at securing the safe release of the vessels and their crews.
The cases come amid continued maritime security concerns in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, key shipping routes that connect major trade lanes between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Officials have repeatedly warned that criminal groups operating in the region could exploit security gaps to target commercial vessels and crew members.
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