Tanker and crew safe after pirates stole cargo in Gulf of Guinea

The missing Singapore-registered tanker that boarded earlier in the week has finally been found, and authorities in Singapore and South Korea reported the crew members are safe. A search has been underway since the Success 9 disembarked about 300 nautical miles south of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, at noon local time on Monday, April 10.

The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority reports that a distress call was received from another commercial tanker, the Monjasa Sprinter, also operating in the area south of Abidjan. The Monjasa tanker forwarded the information to the company’s safety officer, who passed the details on to the MPA and other authorities in the area.

The Information Fusion Center (IFC) and the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC), which coordinated the international search effort, were informed. A Côte d’Ivoire Navy patrol vessel was dispatched and reached the Success 9. The Ivorian team boarded the vessel, confirmed the safety of the crew and arranged for the vessel to proceed to Abidjan. Built in 2003, Success 9 is a 6,135 dwt product tanker owned by HS Ocean of Singapore.

South Korea’s foreign ministry gave additional details, according to a report by Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, saying the ministry had been in contact with its citizen, who was among the 20 crew members. They said the pirates abandoned the tanker after stealing cargo and the crew’s personal belongings. All crew members were caught and were not injured.

All crew members were relieved and in good health, according to the MPA reports (photos courtesy Singapore MPA).

The Franco-British Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade Gulf of Guinea surveillance agency listed the incident as closed. They report that the tanker was about 65 miles southeast of Abidjan.

The search for the ship began Monday after security officials reported that the Success 9 had been boarded by an unknown number of pirates. Cote d’Ivoire dispatched one of its patrol boats, which reported that it could not find the tanker. The search continued with the Ivorian air and sea resources working from the ship’s last known position.

Neighboring countries Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia also provided assistance, and Nigeria also provided assistance, although it was noted that the ship was probably not on their territory. International engagement also included the French Navy, which patrols the region. Two weeks ago, the French frigate Premier-Maitre L’Her managed to complete another hijacking in the region. Another Monjasa tanker, the Monjasa Reformer, was boarded off the Congo coast and was also missing for several days. The French frigate spotted them using a drone hundreds of miles from their original position, which was about 90 nautical miles south of Bonny Island, Nigeria. By the time they were able to reach the Monjasa Reformer, the pirates had abandoned the tanker and kidnapped six crew members. The search for these crew members continues.

The two incidents, which happened within a few weeks, have prompted widespread calls from authorities around the world, security agencies and the International Maritime Organization for increased vigilance in the Gulf of Guinea.

Source: News Network