Somali pirates are suspected of hijacking a Sri Lankan-flagged fuel freighter that sent a distress call, turned off its tracking system and altered course for the Somali coast, a piracy expert said on Tuesday.

If confirmed, Monday’s incident would be the first hijack of a commercial ship by Somali pirates since 2012.

The Aris 13 was believed to be carrying eight crew, said John Steed of the aid group Oceans Beyond Piracy. Steed, a former British colonel, has worked on piracy for nearly a decade and is in close contact with naval forces tracking the ship.

“The ship reported it was being followed by two skiffs yesterday afternoon. Then it disappeared,

Source: Reuters