Pirated Japanese cargo ship spotted off Somali coast

Pirated Japanese cargo ship spotted off Somali coast

2010-10-13 20:18:26 GMT+7 (ICT)

TOKYO (BNO NEWS) -- A Japanese cargo ship was spotted off the Somali coast on Wednesday, three days after it was hijacked near Kenya in the Somali Basin, local media reported.

Lieutenant Colonel Per Klingvall of the European Union Naval Force said the MV Izumi, which has a deadweight of 20,170 tonnes, was seen anchored about two miles (3 kilometers) from the coast, six miles (9 kilometers) north of Haradheere, which is known to be a pirate stronghold.

On Sunday, the European Union Naval Force - Somalia confirmed that the Panama-flagged vessel was hijacked about 170 nautical miles (314 kilometers) south of Mogadishu, carrying a crew of 20 Filipinos.

The ships operator, NYK-Hinode Line, said it had received an automatic distress signal from its owner, indicating the vessel was likely under pirate attack. The Danish warship HDMS Esbern Snare of the NATO counter piracy force was dispatched to intercept and investigate the vessel and confirmed it was under pirate control.

The ship had been carrying steel products from Japan via Singapore towards Mombasa, said NYK-Hinode Line.

Currently, Somali pirates are holding 18 ships with a total of 383 hostages, according to the European naval force. Most hijackings usually end without casualties when a ransom has been paid. This often takes many months, however.

In recent years, Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships, taking in tens of millions of dollars in ransom. European Union ships are patrolling the shipping lanes near Somalia in an effort to reduce hijackings, but the anti-piracy force has warned that attacks are likely to increase now that the regional monsoon season has ended.

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