On the morning of 23 of March, the Malta flagged Turkish owned (Garanti Finansal Kiralama) cargo ship MV Frigia, deadweight 35,000 tonnes, was reported hijacked in the Indian Ocean. The hijacking took place approximately 1000 Nautical miles east of the northern coast of Somalia. This position is closer to India than Somalia and is approximately 400 N Miles outside the normal EU NAVFOR operation area. The ship was heading from Port Said to Kaousichang in Thailand. MV Frigia has a crew of 21 (19 Turkish and 2 Ukrainian). The ship was heading east but has now turned around, is heading west and and appears to be heading for one of the known pirate ports off the coast of Somalia. EU NAVFOR will continue to monitor the situation.
