Somali pirates have escalated their maritime threat in the Indian Ocean by adopting modern GPS technology to track commercial shipping, a development that has significantly heightened concerns among regional and Western officials regarding maritime security along Somalia's volatile coastline. Mohamed Muse Abulle, the deputy director of intelligence for Puntland's Maritime Police Force, confirmed that these pirates have acquired sophisticated equipment, including advanced GPS devices and other weaponry, directly from Yemen's Huthi rebels. This technological advancement has fundamentally altered their operational capabilities, as Abulle stated, "The new technology has made it much easier for them to plan attacks far from the Somali coastline," enabling them to monitor vessel movements with unprecedented real-time precision.

This dangerous evolution in pirate tactics is not an isolated phenomenon; US and regional officials indicate that these Somali pirate groups are not operating autonomously. Instead, they are deeply interconnected with Iran-backed Huthi militias based in Yemen, as well as various extremist groups active across the Horn of Africa. This intricate web of cooperation is believed to have dramatically amplified both the operational capability and the geographical reach of pirate attacks into critical international shipping lanes. Furthermore, security agencies have gathered intelligence suggesting that some Somali pirates have received specialized training within Yemen, leading to a substantial improvement in their military skills and consequently posing an increased threat to global maritime routes.

Recent events underscore the gravity of this situation. On December 12, Puntland's Maritime Police Force successfully intercepted a small boat. This vessel was under suspicion of transporting chemicals that could be used in the fabrication of explosives. Aboard the boat were individuals identified as Somali and Yemeni nationals, all of whom were subsequently arrested for thorough questioning as part of ongoing investigations into these illicit activities and connections.

The current resurgence of Somali piracy is widely perceived as an integral component of a larger, escalating instability linked to the persistent insecurity in the Red Sea region. The Huthis, in particular, are strongly implicated in actively seeking to broaden their influence across the Horn of Africa, contributing to this volatile environment. A stark indicator of this resurgence occurred in December 2023, when Somali pirates successfully seized a commercial vessel. This incident marked a concerning milestone, being the first such hijacking recorded since 2017, and it notably coincided with a significant escalation in attacks by the Huthis on ships transiting the crucial Red Sea waterway.