On the morning of 30 October 2010, the MV POLAR, a Panama-flagged tanker, was pirated in the Somali Basin.
The Liberian-owned MV POLAR was attacked during the night, approximately 580 nautical miles (almost 1,100 km) East from Socotra island. The owner confirmed this morning that his vessel was under pirate control.
The MV POLAR, deadweight 72,825 tons, has a crew of 24, of which 1 is Romanian, 3 are Greek, 4 Montenegrin and 16 Filipino.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EU NAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EU NAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.