NAIROBI, April 26 (Xinhua) -- European Union Naval Force said on Monday its warship ESPS Victoria intercepted a pirate action group (PAG) comprising one mother ship, a Whaler, and two skiffs.

EU Naval Force spokesman John Harbor said the suspected pirates were detected by the frigate's helicopter, about 40 miles from the Somali coast northwest of the Seychelles on Sunday.

Harbor said the helicopter crew saw that the mother ship was carrying a large number of fuel drums, and also the normal paraphernalia for hijacking ships (ladders, hooks, among others) as there was no fishing gear on board. "EU NAVFOR warship closed the PAG position and, following the orders of the EU NAVFOR Force Commander Jan Thornqvist, a search was conducted with no opposition from the pirates," Harbor said a statement.

He said the boarding party confirmed the suspicions that these vessels were being used with the intent to carry out acts of piracy.

"All the suspects were then put into one of the skiffs and given the necessary equipment to reach the Somali coast. Victoria then proceeded to destroy the other vessels," he said.

The incident came barely a week after the Somali pirates hijacked three Thai vessels almost 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the EU Naval Force.

The Somali pirates have expanded their range south and east in response to an increase in patrols by European and American warships off the Somali shore.

This was the second event in four days of patrolling in the area. Two whalers were lifted on board of Johan de Witt and five crew members of the whaler were sent safely back to the shore.

The Horn of Africa nation is at the entrance to the Gulf of Aden, which leads to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, one of the world's most important shipping channels.

The country has been plagued by factional fighting between warlords and hasn't had a functioning central administration since the 1991 ouster of former dictator Mohammed Siad Barre.

The Gulf of Aden, off the northern coast of Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world. About 25,000 ships use the channel south of Yemen, between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.