Resurgence of pirates in international waters puts Centre on alert

Geopolitical instability, rising sea robberies pose risks to maritime economy

India’s shipping regulator, Director General of Shipping (DGS), has advised seafarers to take extra caution as incidents of piracy have seen an uptick after several years of relative normalcy, making international waters riskier for merchant ships.

MV Ruen, a Malta-flagged merchant ship, was hijacked by unknown raiders last week in the Arabian Sea, sparking fears of the return of Somali pirates in international waters, amid troubling geopolitical uncertainty.

The DGS flagged the rising number of cases and asked for caution in an advisory.

“It is understood that several piracy groups that had been dormant for a while have become active