October 18, 2009 5:03 PM

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Somali pirates hijack container ship in Indian ocean

Somali pirates have hijacked a Singapore-owned and flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean. According to Andrew Mwangura, of the East African Seafarers Assistance Program, the MV KOTA WAJAR was seized early Thursday about 550 kilometers north of the Seychelles islands.He said the ship has 21 crew members and was bound for the Kenyan port of Mombasa.<br/>The European Union says it has sent an aircraft from its anti-piracy naval mission to investigate the situation.This is the second ship hijacked by Somali pirates this month. Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships over the past two years, taking in tens of millions of dollars in ransom money.The number of hijackings has dropped in recent months as foreign navies step up their patrols of the Somali coastline.<br/>However, international police officials have warned the pirates remain potent and are likely getting significant help from organized crime.<br/>The pirates are currently holding a total of six ships with nearly 140 crew members.

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