( CNN ) -- A British-owned cargo ship on Monday became the latest vessel to be seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden . International naval patrols have been stepped up in the Gulf of Aden following increased pirate attacks . The 32,000-tonne Malaspina Castle was taken early on Monday and was believed to be heading towards Somalia 's pirate-infested coast , the European Union 's Horn of Africa maritime security center said . `` Few details are known at this stage , but the mixed-nationality crew is believed to be safe , '' a statement on the London-based organization 's Web site said . The vessel , which is operated by an Italian company , carried a crew of 24 , from Bulgaria , Ukraine , Russia and the Philippines , Britain 's Telegraph newspaper reported . `` There have not yet been communications from the Malaspina Castle that we are aware of , so information is limited , '' said Andrew Mwangura of the Seafarers ' Assistance Program in quotes carried by the Telegraph . He added : `` It is likely to be taken towards the Somali coast and negotiations will begin soon . '' Meanwhile , the BBC reported that a Taiwanese fishing boat , with a crew of 29 , was also hijacked Monday approximately 260km ( 160 miles ) from the Seychelles . The latest attacks follow a string of incidents in the pirate-plagued waterway off Somalia at the weekend , with a French yacht , a Yemeni tugboat and a German ship also reported to have been seized . Last year , pirates attacked nearly 100 vessels and hijacked as many as 40 off Somalia , according to the International Maritime Bureau . In response , a number of countries have deployed warships from their navies to the region , including the United States , China and Japan . Monday 's seizure of the Malaspina Castle was immediately condemned by the UK ship masters ' union Nautilus , which has long urged governments to take stronger action to deter piracy . Nautilus assistant general secretary Mark Dickinson told the British Press Association : `` Over the last 10 years , most governments have not really done very much about this . `` More recently they have been motivated to act and there is an EU naval coordination force patrolling off the Gulf of Aden . '' He added : `` I 'm not sure that this is going to be a long-term thing and I 'm also worried that the pirates will start seizing ships well away from the areas being patrolled . `` In Somalia , piracy is like a big , successful industry and the authorities there need to act . The pirates are treated like local heroes . People look up to them and girls want to marry them . They are seen by some locals as good people but they are ruthless . ''
32,000-tonne Malaspina Castle was taken early on Monday . Crew of 24 , from Bulgaria , Ukraine , Russia and the Philippines . EU 's maritime security center believes crew is safe . Score: 6