Pirates hijack Cyprus-flagged fuel tanker with 23 crew members off Benin coast

Pirates hijack Cyprus-flagged fuel tanker with 23 crew members off Benin coast

2011-09-15 03:13:40 GMT+7 (ICT)

COTONOU, BENIN (BNO NEWS) -- A group of pirates on early Wednesday morning boarded a Cyprus-flagged fuel tanker off the coast of Benin and took its 23 crew members hostage, officials said.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which is part of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), said the attack happened at around 0120 GMT about 62 nautical miles (114 kilometers) southwest of Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin.

"Armed pirates boarded and hijacked a product tanker during ship-to-ship operations and took her 23 crew members hostage," IMB said in a report on its website. "The pirates sailed the vessel to an unknown location. Further report is awaited."

Officials in Benin and Cyprus identified the hijacked vessel as the Mattheos I, which was carrying crew members from the Philippines, Spain, Peru, and Ukraine. Their conditions were not immediately known, although pirates do usually not harm their hostages.

Pirates also attacked the Norwegian-registered ship which was working with the Mattheos I, but the attackers failed to take over the ship after the crew locked themselves in the engine room and sent out a distress call. "Pirates later left the vessel. [The] crew came out of the engine room and conducted a search for the pirates and found [the] vessel safe," IMB reported. "The crew regained control of the vessel."

During the first six months of 2011, IMB's Piracy Reporting Center (PRC) reported a total of 266 pirate attacks worldwide, up from 196 incidents during the same period last year. The report showed more than 60 percent of the attacks were carried out by Somali pirates, a majority of which were in the Arabian Sea.

"In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they're taking higher risks," IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan said in July. "This June, for the first time, pirates fired on ships in rough seas in the Indian Ocean during the monsoon season. In the past, they would have stayed away in such difficult conditions. Masters should remain vigilant."

According to a recent study, maritime piracy cost the global economy up to $12 billion last year, with Somalia-based pirates responsible for 95 percent of the costs.

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