Incredible as it may seem in the 21st century a newly built catamaran has gone missing and one possible explanation is piratical activity.
The catamaran 'Nixe' had been built in Singapore and was on its way to Spanish waters to become part of the Balearia fleet on the Ibiza to Denia route when it disappeared without trace.
Its last communication came from the straits of Malaca in Malaysia last Monday and as nothing has been heard since Balearia has strong suspicions that the boat was the subject of an attack by pirates who operate in those waters. This view is further strengthened by the lack of a distress signal which would have been sent automatically by the boat's buoys as they hit the water if the Nixe had sunk.
The Spanish government is taking this incident very seriously and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested that the Indonesian and Singapore governments initiate an air and sea search immediately.