Russian oil tanker and 24 sailors captured by pirates
The Isle of Man-flagged diesel tanker was hijacked while anchored 17 nautical miles off the Togolese capital Lome.
Pirates hijacked the Greek oil tanker Energy Centurion and 24 Russian sailors off the coast of Togo yesterday (August 28), the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.
| Somali pirates on the coast of Hobyo (Somalia) (Photo: AFP) |
Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre, said the Isle of Man-flagged diesel tanker was hijacked while anchored 17 nautical miles off the Togolese capital Lome. According to Choong, pirates in the area normally hold ships for four to five days, searching and stealing cargo, usually oil and gas.
Togolese officials said the pirates fled towards neighboring Benin after the Togolese Navy intervened after receiving a distress signal from the vessel. An official from Golden Energy Management, the Athens-based operator of the ship, said the vessel was still in pirate hands and there had been no contact from the crew.
"These waters are not the same as those off the coast of Somalia. They are not pirates demanding ransom, but thieves who want to take control of ships to steal goods. Therefore, we hope that this ship will be released quickly when the oil it was transporting is drained," the official said.
According to VNA - DT
