China: Small Footprint in Seychelles?

As a follow on to my earlier post regarding Seychelles offer of some sort of anti-piracy base to the Chinese at Somali Pirates: Seychelles asks China for counter-pirate "presence"

Reuters reports "China considers Seychelles port offer, denies base plan":

"According to escort needs and the needs of other long-range missions, China will consider seeking supply facilities at appropriate harbours in the Seychelles or other countries," the ministry said on Monday, according to the China Daily.

"This approach is transparent, and there's no cause for worry," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters, referring to those discussions.

"China has no plans for establishing military bases abroad," said Liu, adding that he had not heard of any ideas of stationing personnel or aircraft on the Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands.

Somali Pirates: Seychelles asks China for counter-pirate "presence"

UPDATE here.

Perhaps reflecting a shift in the currents of international sea power or perhaps just an extension of an existing relationship, the Chinese have been invited to extend some power to an island cluster in the the Indian Ocean bothered by Somali pirates.

As reported by AFP as "Seychelles invites China to set up anti-piracy presence":

"We have invited the Chinese government to set up a military presence on Mahe to fight the pirate attacks that the Seychelles face on a regular basis," Adam said.

"For the time being China is studying this possibility because she has economic interests in the region and Beijing is also involved in the fight against piracy," he explained.
***

"Together, we need to increase our surveillance capacity in the Indian Ocean... as Seychelles has a strategic position between Asia and Africa," Michel said in a statement, adding that China had given its army two light aircraft.

The two countries signed a military cooperation agreement in 2004 that has enabled some 50 Seychelles soldiers to be trained in China. They renewed their agreement Friday, with China to provide further training and equipment.

If the Chinese military presence goes ahead, "it won't be the first foreign military presence here because the Americans already have a small drone station here that they use in the fight against piracy," Adam said.

After warships started deploying in the Gulf of Aden in 2008 to thwart attacks on vessels, Somali pirates enlarged their field of operations into the Indian Ocean, including towards the Seychelles.

Somali Pirates: More on the Hijacking of Beluga Nomination

 See earlier post here.

Reported under the headline "Two sailors from hijacked German ship found in lifeboat":

Beluga Nomination

Two sailors on a German ship have been found in a lifeboat after pirates took control of their vessel last weekend in the Indian Ocean.

The pirates attacked the Bremen-based Beluga Nomination around 800 sea miles north of the Seychelles, prompting reaction from a Seychelles patrol boat and a Danish warship in the area.

The Seychelles patrol boat fired on the ship killing two pirates and two crew members, reported Der Spiegel on Saturday. Yet it was unable to gain control of the Beluga Nomination, and most of the surviving crew locked themselves into a safe room.

At least two others jumped into the free-fall life boat and activated it, plunging into the sea.

The day afterwards the Beluga Nomination stopped as the daily fuel ration was seemingly exhausted. A few hours later another captured ship, the York gas ship arrived, and the two ships were last seen heading towards Somalia.

The two men in the life boat were picked up by the Danish frigate and are said to be in as good a condition as could be expected under the circumstances. A Beluga shipping company spokeswoman confirmed that the fate of the rest of the crew remained unknown.

New York Star

On Friday Somali pirates attacked another German ship, the New York Star tanker which belongs to the Hamburg firm Chemikalien Seetransport.

It was attacked by pirates in a speedboat, a firm spokesman said on Saturday. The captain tried avoidance manoeuvres while the crew locked themselves in a safe room. The Dutch frigate De Ruyter came to its aid and soldiers boarded to check for pirates before giving the all-clear.

New York Star will continue its journey from Saudi Arabia to Singapore with its load of naphtha.

MV New York Star photo by Marcel and Ruud Coster from Shipspotting.com and used iaw the terms of that site.

Somali Pirates Get "Seychelled"

Reported as Seychelles serves up African justice for Somali pirates:

The Seychelles convicted 11 Somali pirates Monday in the first-ever ruling of its kind for an archipelagic nation off the coast of east Africa best known for its white sand beaches and crystal blue water.

Eight of the Somalis were convicted for committing an act of piracy and the other three for aiding and abetting an act of piracy. They were all acquitted on five other charges related to "acts of terrorism," but each will serve 10 years in prison, said a statement issued Monday by Seychelles' Supreme Court.

As noted here, the pirates tried to hijack a Seychelles Coast Guard boat.

Not a wise career move.

Though their living conditions may actually improve in jail.

Report of the attack on the Seychelles boat Topaz here. Photo shows SCG Topaz when it was in Indian service

Somali Pirates: Taiwanese and Yemeni Fishing Boats Taken

Somali pirates seize Taiwanese fishing vessel:

Somali pirates have captured a Taiwanese fishing boat off the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles, a maritime observer said on Saturday.

"Taiwanese fishing vessel TAIYUAN 227 is taken by pirates off Seychelles. Crew are composed of Chinese, Mozambican, Kenyan and Taiwanese nationals," said Andrew Mwangura, who heads the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme.

No further details were immediately available.

Also a report of a captured Yemeni fishing boat here:

Somali pirates have hijacked a Yemeni fishing boat in the Red Sea in western Yemen with a crew of 7 members onboard.

The boat was towed to Somali coast, the September website reported on Friday.

The hijacking came as pirates have recently stepped up their attacks off Yemen hijacking some Yemeni and foreign ships and tankers.

The Seychelles area attack is not shocking, but taking the Yemeni fishing boat in the Red Sea, out through the Bab-el-Mandeb through the Gulf of Aden to the coast of Somalia - that's really surprising.

Somali Pirates: Turkish navy commandos capture 13 suspected pirates

Reported here:

Turkey's military says navy commandos aboard a frigate have captured 13 pirates in the Indian Ocean.

The military says the commandos aboard Turkey's TCG Gelibolu stopped the pirate vessel on Sunday as it sailed off the Seychelles on a route being used by a Turkish freighter heading to Mombassa, Kenya.

The commandos captured the pirates, destroyed their two skiffs and confiscated other pirate material.

The military says the pirates were photographed throwing weapons and ammunition overboard, but didn't say how close the pirates were to the freighter.

Somali Pirates: Seychelles CG Fights Pirates - Wins - Rescues Captives

Seychelles' Coast Guard took on some Somali pirates and won a victory at sea, rescuing captured Seychellois fishermen, Iranians and capturing some pirates, as reported as in Seychelles downs pirates, rescues crews:

In a successful attack on a pirate vessel, the coastguard of Seychelles overwhelmed armed Somali pirates and managed to free Iranian and Seychellois crews and their two fishing vessels. President James Michel had ordered the attack himself.
***

It is believed that 9 Somali pirates hijacked the 'Galate', which had 6 Seychellois men onboard. The pirates used a dhow, which they had hijacked with 21 Iranian crew members onboard last Friday. This was then used to hijack the Seychellois vessel. The Seychellois crew was moved onto the Iranian dhow following the attack.

Together with the assistance of an EU Maritime Patrol Aircraft, the 'Topaz' located the position of the dhow, which was towing the 'Galate' and tried to engage with the vessel. The pirates responded in a threatening manner and the 'Topaz' fired several warning shots.

The dhow continued to travel towards Somalia, with 'Topaz' in pursuit.

Seychellois President James Michel, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Seychelles Armed Forces, himself gave the orders for 'Topaz' to "intercept the vessel and ensure that it did not reach Somalia," according to a government statement sent afrol News.

This afternoon the 'Topaz' disabled the dhow by firing at the engine of the boat, which resulted in a fire onboard the dhow. The pirates, the Iranian crew as well as the Seychellois men onboard jumped into the sea. The 'Topaz' thus picked up all the six Seychellois men from the sea.

The Seychelles coastguard had also rescued all the Iranian crew members, and among them one Iranian man has been injured, with a gunshot wound to the upper arm. "All the Somali pirates have now also been retrieved from the sea," according to government information.

According to the Seychelles Office of the Commanding Officer, the 'Topaz' repelled yet another Somali pirate attack on its way back to Seychelles with the rescued crews. The 'Topaz' had "returned fire, one attack skiff was sunk and the mother ship exploded and caught fire. The third skiff managed to escape," a statement said. The 'Topaz' continued towards Seychelles, "having taken the decision that the priority was to return the freed hostages home safely and not to risk the lives of the civilians on board by hunting for the third skiff."
***The 'Topaz' had been fired upon by rocket-propelled grenades by the pirates, and had successfully evaded them. "Our men on board the Topaz have shown that they are capable in dealing with piracy in the most difficult of circumstances," President Michel praised the crew. "Our Armed Forces have risen to the challenge and we are all proud of them," he added.***

Recent legislation clarified the SCG's right to pursue pirates in "hot pursuit" after a hijacking in Seychelles waters.

SCG Topaz is an Indian Trinkat-class fast patrol vessel transferred to the Seychelles from the Indian Navy in 2005 according to www.bharat-rakshak.com:

INS Tarmugli T64 was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 04 March 2002. She was transferred to the Seychelles Coast Guard on 23 February 2005 and was renamed as the SCG Topaz.

The top photo shows SCG Topaz in Indian service.

The Seychelles Coast Guard has been actively involved in maritime training with the United States Navy, as set out here:

U.S. service members from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and USS Halsey reviewed visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) tactics with Seychelles Coast Guard personnel at Seychelles Coast Guard headquarters on August 14, 2008.

U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Stuart Cravens, CJTF-HOA, said the Seychelles Coast Guard already has some experience with these procedures.

"The Seychelles Coast Guard does an excellent job of patrolling the Seychelles waters," said Cravens. "Most of the visit, board, search, and seizure they conduct is usually in a compliant situation, meaning the captain and crew of the vessels they board are not aggressive."

With malicious acts such as piracy on the rise, Cravens said the Seychelles Coast Guard members want to be prepared in case such an act is committed in Seychelles territory.

"The Seychelles Coast Guard expressed their concerns to CJTF-HOA about the need for training for non-compliant VBSS situations," said Cravens.

The training consisted of basic techniques of shipboard tactical movement, self-defense, searching and handcuffing procedures.

Lower photo caption:

VICTORIA, Seychelles - Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Justin Boulanger, a member of USS Halsey's visit, board, search and seizure team, demonstrates proper boarding techniques with the Seychelles Coast Guard during training at Seychelles Coast Guard headquarters on August 14, 2008. U.S. service members from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and USS Halsey partnered with the Seychelles Coast Guard to review tactics for visit, board, search and seizure situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Darrell I. Dean)

UPDATE: More on EU-tasked Swedish Maritime Patrol Aircraft from MSC(HOA):

Early this morning, 29th March, the EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Rear Adm Giovanni Gumiero, tasked the Seychelles Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to support the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz in an anti piracy operation against three hijacked ships.

It had been reported that a Pirate Action Group (PAG) hijacked a Motor Vessel ARZOO with 14 Indian nationals onboard. EU NAVFOR had been monitoring its movements and noticed that 2 days ago the vessel was abandoned by the pirates near to the Seychelles when the vessel ran out of fuel. The crew were released unharmed. They hijacked another ship (fishing vessel) called GALATE and set course for the northern Somali basin. The Swedish MPA monitored the movements of this vessel and reported to the EU NAVFOR Force HQ. At this time the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz was vectored onto the position. The EU NAVFOR Luxemburg MPA then arrived and provided cover and positional information to the Topaz.

Earlier post on the Swedish Coast Guard MPA here.

Somali Pirates: Release of Taiwanese Fishing Vessel and 3 Dead Crew

Ah, the pirates of Somalia - innocently protecting their fishing grounds from a vessel they captured in the EEZ waters of the Seychelles (see also here).Note that this first report appears to be wrong in that 3 crew of the vessel are now reported to be dead

M/V WIN FAR 161 that has been anchored off the Somali coast in the vicinity of Harardheere for almost 10 months has finally been released. The pirates vacated the vessel on the evening of 11 Feb and the master has taken command once more.

The Taiwanese fishing vessel WIN FAR 161 was hijacked on 6th April 2009 from the Somali Basin, approximately 160Nm north of the Seychelles. The vessel had been operating outside the EU NAVFOR Area of Operation (AOR) and as such its movements were not registered with the MSCHOA. It is understood from the owner that all 28 crew members are well and were released with food, fuel and water. The ship is now heading out to sea and is being monitored by EU NAVFOR.

A later here:

Ecoterra, a Kenya-based agency that monitors shipping in Somali waters, said three of the boat's original crew of 30 had died during their captivity.

"The three died of malnutrition, disease and neglect over the course of the last month," Ecoterra said.

UPDATE: Taiwan sources assert all 30 crew members alive. See here

Somali Pirates: Slowdown

First, a pirate who sees a slowdown Somali pirate fears good times maybe finished:

He and his colleagues have hijacked nearly 30 vessels this year, meaning 2009 is on course to be even worse than last year, when pirates from the Horn of Africa nation seized 42 ships.

But the crime wave has prompted a hurried deployment in the region by foreign navies, thwarting several attacks -- and now the weather is turning too, making the seas rougher and the pirates' prey harder to hunt.

"My biggest fear is that the piracy business will have to stop. The weather will be terrible in the coming days and the warships have increased in number," Said told Reuters in Eyl.
***
But the last few weeks have not been so successful. He knows he was lucky to get off scot-free after being captured once.

"I recently went to sea ... but all of my last three attempts have been in vain. I was even caught by a Portuguese warship, but fortunately they released me and my friends."

Just in time for bad weather, another 200 pirates claim to have given up piracy, as set out here:

Around 200 Somali pirates are reported to have renounced piracy at a meeting in northern Somalia.

Members of the group met local leaders and Somali expatriates in Eyl, in the autonomous region of Puntland, and promised to halt their activities.

Pirate representative Abshir Abdullah told the BBC he urged other groups to free ships in return for amnesty.

I don't see amnesty forthcoming, unless the pirates surrender themselves along with the captured ships. And I suspect the pirate plan does not include the "former pirates" remaining in Somalia. The south of France, however, is nice...

Speaking of weather, the monsoon (see here) seems to be kicking up:


Higher winds, heavier seas - not much for a pirate in a small open boat to enjoy.

Expect, in addition to further promises of pirate reform, a couple of months of slowed pirate activity.

Iran has chosen this perod to send 6 (?) warships to the area to participate in international anti-pirate measures, as set out here:

Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced on Monday that Iran has sent 6 warships and logistic vessels to the Gulf of Aden and the surrounding international waters.

Sayyari, who made the remarks while visiting the development projects and installations of the Iranian Navy here in Tehran, described the measure as "unprecedented in the history of the Iranian Navy", and added, "This important move indicates the country's high military capability in confronting any kind of foreign threat along the coasts of the country."

Might be a slow deployment for the Iranians, since the pirates seem to be standing down for weather. Not that the effort isn't appreciated.

UPDATE: Having staked out a position for a slowdown, I now report two unsuccessful attacks in the Gulf of Aden, which I have tried to depict on the image nearby:

Atttack 1: At 0130 UTC a merchant vessel was under attack by 2 skiffs in position 1305N 04858E.

The ship is safe now.

and

Attack 2: At 242120Z a merchant vessel was under attack by pirates in position 13 11N 049 18E.

The vessel is safe now

And a report of a Swedish warship capturing some suspected pirates, loaded with normal fishing equipment, here:

Early this morning suspected pirates attacked a Greek Bulk Carrier in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates fired upon the ship with small arms and RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). A distress call was picked up by the EU NAVFOR Swedish warship HMS MALMO which immediatelly proceeded to the area.

MALMO then got visual contact with the attacking skiff and fired warning shots and flares. The skiff stopped after pursuit and was boarded by a VPD (Vessel Protection Detachment) sent out from MALMO. On board the skiff some weapons, GPS equipment, grappling hooks and barrels of fuel were found. 7 suspected pirates were captured and are at present being held on board HMS MALMO for further investigation.

Tip of the hat to Bryan for the info.

Somali Pirates: EU Counter-Piracy Mission May Expand to Cover Seychelles

After a flurry of pirate attacks in and around the Seychelles, the EU may extend anti-piracy efforts to cover the islands, as set out here:

The European Union may expand its naval anti-piracy operations to cover the Seychelles islands, 1,500 kilometres from the Somali coastline, Germany's defence minister said Monday.

The Seychelles, an archipelago of more than 100 islands, has been the scene of several recent attacks.

"We see that the pirates are extending their activities into the Indian Ocean, so the area around the Seychelles should be included in the operation," German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said before a meeting of the European Union's foreign and defence ministers.

Somali Pirates: Grab a Bulk Ship Off Seychelles

Somali pirates seem to like the outward expansion of their piracy danger zone they've created, now taking ship "250 miles southwest of the Seychelles" as reported here:

Somali pirates hijacked a Greek ship with 28 Ukrainian crew on board in the latest attacks on foreign vessels in the pirate-infested Indian Ocean waters, a regional maritime official confirmed on Saturday.

Andrew Mwangura, the East Africa Coordinator of Seafarers assistance program said the Malta-flagged MV Ariana was seized late Friday but he received the news of the hijacking early Saturday.

"The vessel was hijacked on Friday but we received the reports early on Saturday. The MV Ariana was sailing from Brazil to the Middle East," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone from the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. "The crew are all Ukrainian and we believe they are safe," Mwangura added.

The incident came hours after a Portuguese warship thwarted an attack on a Norwegian vessel in the Gulf of Aden. The warship, part of a NATO patrol, destroyed explosives they discovered when they captured the pirates.

The explosives can be used for demolition and blasting through walls.

The Portuguese warship, the Corte Real, sent a helicopter to help the oil tanker Kition after a distress call was made. The incident happened about 161 km off the Somali coast.

According to NATO, the Portuguese helicopter chased the pirates back to their "mother ship", or command vessel, and briefly detained about 19 pirates.

NATO Warning:

WARNING - 02.05.2009: 0230 UTC: POSN: 07:19S - 052:11E, OFF SOUTHERN SOMALIA. A BULK CARRIER WAS ATTACKED AND HIJACKED. AWAITING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. ALL VESSELS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN VIGILANT. PIRATE MOTHER VESSELS AND PIRATE SKIFFS ARE BELIEVED TO BE ACTIVELY OPERATING IN THE ABOVE AREAS. ALL VESSELS NOT MAKING SCHEDULED CALLS TO PORTS IN SOMALIA, KENYA OR TANZANIA KEEP AS FAR FROM THE SOMALI COAST AS POSSIBLE. ALL VESSELS ARE ADVISED TO MAINTAIN A DISTANCE OF MORE THAN 600 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE COASTLINE AND WHEN ROUTING NORTH/SOUTH CONSIDER KEEPING EAST OF 60E LONGITUDE UNTIL EAST OF THE SEYCHELLES. ALL VESSELS TRANSITING THE AREA AND NOT ABLE TO KEEP 600 NM OFF THE SOMALI COAST ARE ADVISED NOT TO APPROACH CLOSER THAN 100 NM FROM THE POSITION GIVEN IN THIS REPORT AND MAINTAIN MAXIMUM CPA WITH ANY SHIP ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY. WHILE NAVIGATING IN THE REGION VESSEL ARE URGED TO OPERATE AT A HEIGHTENED STATE OF READINESS, MAINTAINING STRICT 24 HOURS ANTI-PIRACY VISUAL AND RADAR WATCHES, ACTIVELY IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDED ANTI-PIRACY MEASURES. EARLY ASSESSMENT / DETECTION WILL ALLOW SHIPS TO TAKE EVASIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT BOARDING AND REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. VESSELS TO REGULARLY REPORT THEIR POSITION/COURSE/SPEED TO UKMTO. VESSELS TO REPORT ALL ATTEMPTED AND ACTUAL ATTACKS AND SUSPICIOUS SIGHTINGS TO THE IMB PRC AND UKMTO.

UPDATE: Added Google Earth image of area of capture.

Somali Pirates: Cruise Ship Attackers Caught by Spanish Navy?

Suspected pirates, found in the vicinity of the recent attack on a cruise ship off the Seychelles have been swept up by a Spanish frigate, as reported here:

A Spanish warship has intercepted a skiff carrying nine suspected Somali pirates believed to have attacked an Italian cruise ship at the weekend, the defence ministry said Monday.

The Numancia frigate "intercepted a skiff with nine occupants who could be connected to the hijacking attempt of the Italian cruise ship which was eventually repelled by the boat," it said in a statement.

The cruise liner Melody, carrying more than 1,500 people, was attacked on Saturday but Israeli security guards on board the ship responded to the pirates' gunfire and were able to repel them.

After the hijacking attempt The Numancia, along with patrol planes from France and the Seychelles and an Indian navy ship, launched a high-seas hunt for the assailants.

During the search, the naval mission found "two small boats with nine suspects on board very close to the scene of the attack against the cruise," the Spanish defence ministry said.

The suspects abandoned one the boats and were later caught in the skiff. The Spanish navy handed over the suspects to a Seychelles ship since they were captured in the island nation's waters in the Indian Ocean.

A commander of the pirates who attacked the cruise ship described the bandits' attempt to seize the boat in an interview with AFP earlier Monday.

"Unfortunately, for technical reasons, we could not seize the ship," Mohamed Muse told AFP by phone from the pirate lair of Eyl, in the northern Somali breakaway state of Puntland.

"We were aware that hijacking such a big ship would have been a new landmark in piracy off the coast of Somalia but unfortunately they used good tactics and we were not able to board," he said.

"It was not the first time we went for that kind of ship and this time we came closer to capturing it and we really sprayed it with gunfire," Muse said.

The captain of the cruise liner, Ciro Pinto, said the attack had felt like a war and praised the response of the security guards.

"The ship was very big and there were only a dozen pirates involved in the attack so we eventually ad to decide to back off after chasing it for close to 30 minutes," Muse said.

Muse? Same name as the suspect in the Maersk Alabama case? Hmmm.

The Spanish frigate is based on the U.S. Perry class design. See here for Spanish Navy report on incident, translated (by Google):

Monday, 27 April 2009
The frigate "Numancia" and located a boat allegedly addresses used by hackers to assault the MSC Melody cruise

Intercepted a skiff with new occupants

The frigate 'Numancia,' has now successfully completed a new mission after the interception of a suspected piracy skiff north coast of the Seychelles.

During the morning of Sunday, April 26, received a communication from emergency aboard the "Numancia" for the attempted kidnapping of the Italian flag ship MSC Melody, who was traveling with 991 passengers and 536 crew members of the Indian Ocean waters to the North of Seychelles. Immediately the commander of the Naval Force of the European Union (EUNAVFOR), Captain Juan Garat, ordered the frigate heading to the scene at full speed, while coordinating the intervention with other military forces in the area .

The area where the assault took place more than 300 miles (over 550 km) of the position of the frigate, and the Force Commander requested the collaboration of other international forces in the area. In addition to the Spanish ship and its helicopter, involved two maritime patrol aircraft, one French and one of Seychelles, and the ship of the Navy India 'Nirdeshak', with an embarked helicopter. After a laborious search together, two small boats were located very close to the point of attack on the cruise, with nine suspects on board.

At a certain point, the assumptions of an abandoned pirate ship, which was found empty and investigated by the Indian vessel, while the "Numancia" and sought to reach the other, with the nine occupants on board. Finally, given that the incident took place in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone, a ship that took nationality of the suspects.

UPDATE: The Indian Navy vessel mentioned is an armed "survey" ship:

The INS Nirdeshak, which belongs to the Sandhayak class of survey vessels, is equipped with a Chetak helicopter and interceptor boats that can undertake anti-piracy missions. It also has a heavy 40 mm Bofors gun on board and has made several trips to the island nation in the past to carry out navigational surveys.

It is in the area of the Seychelles at the request of the Seychelles armed forces.

Somali Pirates: Yacht hijacked near Seychelles

A report of another yacht hijacking off the Seychelles here:

A tourist yacht and its crew of seven has been hijacked by Somali pirates near the Seychelles islands off Africa's east coast, officials said Thursday.

The Indian Ocean Explorer had dropped off its contingent of tourists before it was seized, said Kirk Green, director of Aquatours, the London-based tour operator that books diving tours on the luxury yacht.

Green said he was told of the hijacking Wednesday by the British Navy and thought the boat had been taken then. But the U.S. Navy says the ship was taken either Friday or Saturday.

Aquatours home here. Photo of Indian Ocean Explorer from that site.

Hijacking of other yacht reported here.