Pirates Hijack Chinese Dry-Cargo Vessel

VLADIVOSTOK. October 20. VOSTOK-MEDIA – Somali pirates have hijacked a Chinese dry-cargo vessel with 25 crew members on board. The incident occurred more than 1,000 km east of the Somali coast. This is the first time a ship was seized by pirates in this area.

Last Thursday, there was a pirate attack on a Singaporean container carrier with 21 crew 300 miles off Seychelles.

Experts agree that sea-robbers are getting more skilled and sophisticated. Pirates’ activity has already reached to the central part of the Indian Ocean. In October, for example, pirates attacked French tuna vessels. Luckily, there were French soldiers on board the ships who managed to repel the attack.

A court in Somalias northern breakaway state of Puntland on Saturday sentenced eight suspected pirates to prison terms of between three and five years, officials said.

According to the statement issued by the US Navy, naval alliances have since August 2008 apprehended and released 343 suspected pirates, detained and transferred for prosecution 212 others and killed 11, reported Vesti news channel.