Last month the freighter Arctic Sea was highjacked off the coast of Sweden; she was boarded by an armed group which forced the crew to change course to Africa. The ship was found by the Russian navy.
People in Sweden have been shocked by this event, as hijackings near their coast have been unknown since the 18th Century. The Gothenburg based Swedish Shipowners’ Association have warned shipowners to be vigilant and adopt the same security measures in the Baltic as they would do in the Gulf of Aden.