Somali pirates seize Panamanian freighter

02.06.2010 According to naval sources in the European Union, Somali pirates have seized a Panamanian-flagged freighter with 24 Egyptian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Ghanaian crew on board. The attack was in the Gulf of Aden and could be observed from the American destroyer USS Cole. The Americans say they saw people with grenade launchers on the Panamanian ship. The captured freighter is believed to have been under sail from Brazil.

Horn of Africa piracy is a well-organized multi-million-dollar industry. Crushing it is impossible before appropriate international agreements are in place. After freeing the Moscow University tanker in May, a Russian naval crew had no option but to release the captors.