 |
| MT Halifax. Photo credits channelSTV.com |
 |
| West Nigera map.Photo eaglespeak.us |
Pirates have taken control of a Greek-owned oil tanker, the MT Halifax, off the coast of southern Nigeria, reports from the BBC have said.
The ship's owners lost contact with the crew on the 30th of October, 2011. The International Maritime Bureau have stated that the 25 man crew are being held in captivity, and that the pirates are expected to steal the ship's load of crude and refined oil products.
The captain is believed to be Italian, while his crew is made up of a mixture of Indians and Filipinos.
Previous ship hi-jackings have resulted in the safe release of the crew afterwards, although worryingly pirate attacks are on the increase off the West African coast.
Victims of Somalians pirates have not been so lucky. They tend to demand ransoms rather than steal the ship's cargo, and then murder their victims if the ransom is not paid in time.
The UN have urged African nations to step up naval patrols in the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment