After several years of relative calm, the waters off Somalia are once again in turmoil.

On May 2, a small oil tanker named M/T Eureka was boarded and seized by a group of armed militants off the coast of Yemen. Flying the Togolese flag and carrying 2,800 tons of diesel fuel, the vessel had been sailing smoothly but was subsequently diverted toward Somalia.

There are at least eight Egyptian crew members on board, along with crew members from South Asia. Their families are growing increasingly anxious—they say the pirates have raised the ransom from over $3 million to $10 million! The families also report that the crew is being held captive and that food and water are in short supply.

This is not an isolated incident. In late April, another oil tanker, the “Honor 25,” was also hijacked in the vicinity, with a total of 17 crew members on board. Their families protested in Karachi, demanding that the government take action to rescue the crew.

Why have pirates suddenly become so rampant again?

One very practical reason: the unstable situation in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz has left all parties too preoccupied to maintain maritime order. This “high-risk area,” once strictly controlled, has once again descended into chaos and a power vacuum. Pirates have seized the opportunity to act, becoming increasingly brazen in their ransom demands.