Pirates shootout and seize Greek oil tanker

On August 28, a Greek oil tanker with 24 crew members encountered pirates in the waters off the coast of Togo. Despite the intervention of a Togolese navy ship, the pirates were able to take over the ship and take it away.

Piracy is on the rise in the waters off West Africa - Photo: Reuters

Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy reporting center, told AFP that the Energy Centurion, a ship flying the flag of the Isle of Man (a British island located off the northwest coast of England), was hijacked about 27km off the coast of the capital Lome (Togo).

During the attack, the ship sent out a distress signal. A nearby Togolese navy patrol boat intervened and exchanged fire with the pirates, but the pirates escaped and sailed the ship toward neighboring Benin.

“Normally pirates in this area will hold the ship for four to five days to loot and take the cargo on board, usually oil and gas,” Chong said.

An official from the ship's operator - Golden Energy Management, said they currently have no news of the 24 Russian sailors on board.

“Unlike pirates off the coast of Somalia, pirates in this area do not demand ransom but only take over ships to steal cargo, so we hope the ship will be released soon after the oil and gas on board is taken,” the official said.

Earlier on August 19, an oil tanker operated by a British company was also hijacked and released on August 23. None of the 18 people on board were injured, but all the oil on board was taken.

The IMB has repeatedly warned ships to exercise caution in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa. Last year, the organization identified the area as a new “hot spot” for piracy and called on authorities to step up patrols.

According to statistics, since the beginning of the year, there have been 36 pirate attacks in the area. The pirates often target fuel tankers.

According to Tuoi Tre - DT