Ten Somali men have been convicted in Germany on piracy-related charges related to the 2010 hijacking of the M/V Taipan in the Gulf of Aden.
The men were famously captured by a Dutch boarding team who raided the German-flagged vessel just hours after it was boarded by the group of pirates on April 4, 2010. During the attack, the 15 member crew hid inside the ship’s citadel, cut off power to the ship, and sent out a distress signal alerting naval forces in the area of the attack.
Shortly after, video of the raid captured by the helmet cam of a Dutch team member surfaced and went viral.
The men have reportedly been sentenced to prison terms ranging between two and seven years for charges that included attacking sea transportation and extortionate kidnapping.
That case marked Germany’s first piracy conviction in centuries.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
Global piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships have risen sharply in the first quarter of 2025, with a notable 35% increase compared to the same period last year. The...
Major maritime industry associations have jointly released a comprehensive security guidebook aimed at protecting vessels and crews amid escalating global maritime threats. The new Best Management Practices (BMP) for Maritime...
By Christian Akorlie ACCRA, March 29 (Reuters) – Three Chinese nationals are missing from Ghanaian waters and believed to have been kidnapped after a “suspected pirate attack” on Thursday on their Ghanaian-registered...
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
