Eventually, the regained control of their vessel
Taiwanese fishers fought off a hijack by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, regaining control of their vessel. The Chin Yi Wen and its 28 crew were attacked and hijacked around 260 nautical miles south west of the Seychelles on 3 November.
On 5 November, some of the crew overcame the hijackers, freed themselves and retook the boat. The Chin Yi Wen then met up with a British warship nearby, which provided assistance, and later continued its journey to the Seychelles. Three crewmembers are reported to have sustained minor injuries.
Over in the increasingly dangerous waters off West Africa, pirates have now released the Greek-operated, Malta-flagged oil tanker Halifax and its 25 mainly Filipino crew, hijacked about 100 kilometres off Port Harcourt, Nigeria on 30 October. The tanker was taken to a position off Lagos/Benin where part of the cargo was siphoned off, and then taken back to Bonny, Nigeria. The crew were reported to be safe, although some personal belongings were stolen.
According to figures from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) for 7 November, Somali pirates are currently holding captive about 11 vessels and 194 hostages. Hostages continue to include seven Indian seafarers from the Asphalt Venture still held captive despite the payment of a ransom in April.
Other recent incidents reported to the IMB’s worldwide Piracy Reporting Centre include:
- Robbers boarded a containership in Gaunta, Venezuela on 8 November but were spotted, the alarm raised and searchlights directed on their boat. The robbers had broken a seal to one container but escaped empty-handed.
- Two robbers boarded a cargo ship anchored at Freetown, Sierra Leone on 3 November but escaped empty-handed after the alarm was raised.
- Armed pirates chased and fired on a chemical tanker 72 nautical miles north of the Aldabra Islands, between Tanzania and the Seychelles, on 31 October. The master raised the alarm and took anti-piracy measures, and the pirates moved away after the armed onboard security team returned fire.
- Armed pirates chased and fired on a tanker around 240 nautical miles off Mombasa, Kenya on 30 October. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered in the citadel. The pirates abandoned their attack after the armed onboard security team fired warning shots.
All attacks and suspicious sightings should be reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, Tel: +603 2031 0014 (24 hours), Email: [email protected]
Source: ITF
