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For thousands of years, ships, their crews and passengers have been exposed to malicious acts commonly referred to as maritime piracy.
Today, this term refers to any violent attack perpetrated against a ship sailing on the high seas, including the illegal detention of persons, theft of property and destruction of goods.
Maritime piracy: major attacks 2010-2024
| Date | Area of incident | Vessel name | Vessel type | Country flag | Consequences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 April 2024 | Caribbean | Magalie | Multi-purpose cargo | Panama | Crew taken hostage and part of rice cargo stolen. Two injured in the ranks of the Haitian National Police (HNP) special units. |
| 12 Marsh 2023 | Off the coast of Somalia | MV Abdullah | Bulk carrier | Bangladesh | Hostage situation involving 23 crew members and payment of a 5 million USD ransom. |
| May 2023 | Gabon | MV Grebe | Bulk carrier | Singapore | Hostage situation |
| November 2022 | Near the Turtle Islands, Sierra Leone | Armenistis | Roll-on/roll off (ro-ro) | Togo | Hostage situation Grounding of the vessel |
| 23 January 2021 | Northwest of São Tomé and Príncipe | MV Mozart | Container ship | Liberia | Death of one crew member and kidnapping of 15 others |
| 2 January 2019 | Gulf of Guinea | MSC Mandy | Container ship | Panama | 6 sailors taken hostage |
| 30 November 2018 | Off the coast of Somalia | MT Leopard Sun | Oil tanker | Singapore | No incidence |
| 1 December 2012 | East African coast | Patino | Oil tanker | Spain | 6 pirates arrested |
| 11 May 2012 | Off the coast of Somalia | MV Symi | Cargo ship | Greece | 9.5 million USD ransom demand |
| 21 February 2012 | Gulf of Aden | MV Leila | Cargo ship | United Arab Emirates | 24 crew members taken hostage 250 000 USD ransom paid |
| 17 January 2012 | Gulf of Aden | MV Flintstone | Cargo ship | Netherlands | 15 crew members taken hostage |
| 1 December 2011 | Off the coast of Oman | MV Leopard | Oil tanker | Denmark | Kidnapping of 6 crew members |
| 30 April 2011 | Malaysia | MT Gemini | Oil tanker | Singapore | Payment of 6 millions USD |
| 16 March 2011 | Off the coast of Somalia | MV Sinar Kudus | Cargo ship | Indonesia | 9 million USD ransom demand Payment of 4.5 million USD to pirates |
| 9 February 2011 | Off the coast of Oman | MV Irene SL | Oil tanker | Greece | 13.5 million USD ransom demand |
| 22 January 2011 | Seychelles | MV New York Star | Oil tanker | Liberia | 5 million USD ransom demand |
| 15 January 2011 | Somali coast | Samho Jeweley | Chemical tanker | South Korea | 9 people killed, including 1 sailor |
| 5 December 2010 | Arabian Sea | MV Jahan Moni | Bulk carrier | Bangladesh | 4 million USD ransom |
| 2 August 2010 | Gulf of Aden | MV Suez | Container ship | Panama | 2.1 million USD ransom |
| 2 June 2010 | Gulf of Aden | MV QSM Dubai | Cargo ship | Panama | Death of the captain |
| 4 April 2010 | Gulf of Aden | MV Samho Dream | Oil tanker | South Korea | 9.5 million USD ransom |
| 29 March 2010 | Gulf of Aden | MV Iceberg | Roll-on/roll off (ro-ro) | Panama | 23 crew members taken hostage |
| 1 January 2010 | Gulf of Aden | Pramoni | Chemical tanker | Singapore | Payment of a ransom |
Maritime piracy: number of acts in 2024
| Region | Number of incidents | Marine piracy | Banditry | Spillover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Americas and the Caribbean archipelago | 124 | 5 | 119 | - |
| Gulf of Guinea | 26 | 7 | 19 | - |
| Indian Ocean | 323 | 42 | 45 | 236 |
| Southeast Asia & Pacific | 102 | 5 | 97 | - |
| Europe | 53 | 1 | - | 52 |
| Total | 628 | 60 | 280 | 288 |
Source : Maritime Information Cooperation & Awareness Center
Evolution of the number of acts of maritime piracy and banditry: 2008-2024
In general, acts of maritime piracy and banditry are on a downward trend, with a peak of 668 in 2011.
Since then, and up to 2023, the number of malevolent acts has fallen steadily, to 295 incidents.
In 2024, 340 marine piracy and banditry incidents were reported. This figure may indicate that piracy is returning to the same levels seen between 2016 and 2020.
Acts of maritime piracy and banditry by geographical area: 2020-2024
The two graphs below feature the number of acts of piracy and banditry by geographical area over the period 2020-2024.
An act of banditry is characterized as an act committed in the territorial waters of a State, a zone under the sovereignty of the State concerned. On the other hand, an event perpetrated on the high seas is considered as an act of maritime piracy.
