The ships deployed as part of the Indian Navy's mission to prevent incidents of maritime crime in the Arabian Sea have responded promptly to the hijacking incident. Under this, the Indian Navy's mission has given its prompt response to the hijacking of the Malta-flagged vessel MV Rouen.

The vessel, with a crew of 18, had sent a Mayday message on the UKMTO portal, PM, on December 14, 2023. It was indicated that about six unidentified personnel were on board.
The Indian Navy responded to the crisis quickly by sending its maritime patrol aircraft to the area.

Indian mission sent to locate MV Rouen:

After this, it also sent its warship based in the Gulf of Aden to locate and assist the MV Rouen ship.
The Indian mission located the hijacked ship on December 15, 2023. After this, Indian Navy aircraft were continuously monitoring its activity. The hijacked MV Rouen was heading towards the coast of Somalia.
An Indian Navy warship has intercepted MV Rouen on the morning of December 16, 2023.
The entire situation is being closely monitored in coordination with other agencies/MNFs in the region.
The Indian Navy is committed to be the first to respond in this area. The Government of India is committed to ensuring the safety of merchant shipping along with its international partners and friendly countries.

About Piracy in the Arabian Sea:

There is always a threat to Indian merchant ships from Somalian pirates in the Arabian Sea region.
The Government of India is working with many countries on the frequent hijacking incidents in this region.
According to a report by Colorado-based “One Earth Foundation”, piracy costs countries around the world 7 to 12 billion dollars every year.
This expense includes ransom paid to kidnappers, expenses incurred due to changing the route of ships, etc.
Also, the deployment of navies by many countries to fight pirates and the budgets of many organisations are included in the additional expenditure.

Malta:

Capital: Valletta
Currency: Euro
Prime Minister: Robert Abela