The ICC’s Commercial Crime Service (CCS) issued a fresh piracy warning for the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday after four ships were attacked within 48 hours in the area.

None of the vessels attacked were cruise ships, but Pottengal Mukundan, director of the CCS, warned all vessels should remain on alert when in the area.

“Cruise ships are not typically the target of pirates, but of course all vessels should be very careful in these waters,” Mukundan said. “The Gulf of Aden is really the highest risk area today.”

The pirates appear to be launching small high-speed vessels from mother ships – Russian-made stern trawlers and maybe a blue tug, he said. The Trawlers are white and bear the names Burum Ocean and Arena or possibly Athena.

If a ship should see a suspicious vessel, Mukundan said it was important to use spotlights to let the approaching boat know it has been spotted.

“Let the craft know that they have been detected,” he said, then call the coalition navy in the area and the ICC-CCS’ anti-piracy center in Kuala Lumpur.