( CNN ) -- Pirates Thursday hijacked a German-owned tanker in the Gulf of Aden , the waterway between Africa and the Middle East which has become one of the world 's most dangerous shipping lanes . The U.S. Navy has been joined by other countries to police the Gulf of Aden . The MV Longchamp was seized by seven pirates early in the morning , said a spokesman for the ship 's owner , Bernhard Schulte Ship Management Company , of Hamburg , Germany . The company received a phone call from the ship 's captain which was `` literally around three seconds.He said they 'd been seized by pirates , that no one was injured , no dead ... and then clac , the phone went dead , ' '' said the spokesman , who did not give his name . He said the company has heard nothing from the pirates themselves and had no information on how the vessel had been seized . The coalition of countries patrolling the sea lanes in response to the outbreak of piracy there was not involved in the incident , said Lt. Nathan Christensen , a public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy 's Fifth Fleet , which is based in the region . He said he did not know if the coalition had received a distress call . The Longchamp carries a a crew of 12 Filipinos and one Indonesian , Christensen said . The tanker is carrying the chemical vinyl chloride monomer ( VCM ) , the owner 's spokesman said .
Pirates hijack German-owned tanker in Gulf of Aden . The vessel Longchamp carries a a crew of 13 , according to owners . Naval ships patrolling the area did not have contact with pirates .