They have also advised staff to be on the look-out for crew who attempt to access areas of the ship not associated with their job, as sometimes the criminals bribe staff so they can hide their consignment in different parts of the ship.

BBC: Drug traffickers targeting cruise liners, Soca says

Zoya Quinn, wife of the ship's second officer, told the Associated Press that Capt Phillips had told the crew to lock themselves in a room and that the pirates, who were "desperate", searched all over the ship for them.

BBC: Captain 'tried to escape pirates'