Pirates kidnap 19 crew members including 18 Indians of Hong-Kong registered oil tanker

An Oil tanker called Nave Constellation that is registered to Hong-Kong was attacked by pirates near Nigeria. The area where the ship was attacked is in the Gulf of Guinea and is known to be dangerous for seafarers, 19 members of the crew were kidnapped and seven members were left on board so that they could take the boat to a safe location.

Most crew members kidnapped

Of the 19 crew members that were kidnapped, 18 were Indians and the last remaining one was a Turkish sailor. The Marine Department on Friday stated that no injuries or damage to the ship were reported and the seven crew left on the Nave Constellation were all Indian.

The attack took place in the early hours on 4th December. The tanker's owner, Navios Maritime Acquisition Corp. is working with security agents and the insurance company to secure the release of the kidnapped crew. The seven members of the crew that were left on board after the attack were instructed to take the oil tanker to a safe location and wait to be rescued. According to reports, the company said they were in the process of informing the families of the kidnapped crew and that their main priority was the safe and early release of the crew.

Not the first such incident

In a similar incident, nine members of a shipping vessel were abducted by a group of pirates who boarded the ship from the coast of Benin situated in Norwegian, West Africa region. In a statement released by J.J. Ugland on Sunday, the details of the ship were disclosed to the international media. MV Bonita, the shipping vessel was waiting at the Cotonou port to release the shipment of gypsum when the Pirates boarded and kidnapped nine crew members on board. It was reported that the rest of the people present on the ship tried contacting the local official authorities. However, the shipping vessel was later found anchored at the port.

The company’s spokesperson also said that the families of the nine crew members have been contacted and will be kept informed. Further, the statement read that more updates will be given as and when the information is confirmed and releasable to the media. 

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Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea

The Gulf of Guinea, where both the incidents took place is considered one of the most dangerous places. There have been several incidents of abduction and piracy in the area. In a report released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which is aimed at eliminating the maritime crime, termed the Gulf of Guinea a ‘world piracy hotspot’. It accounts for 73% of sea kidnapping and 92% of hostage-takings. The pirates have been executing kidnappings in high-risk waters, where 27 crew members were kidnapped in the first half of 2019. Apart from that, there were reports of two chemical tankers that were hijacked.

The report said that “Of the nine vessels fired upon worldwide, eight were off the coast of Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer. These attacks took place on average 65 nautical miles off the coast – meaning they are classified as acts of piracy.”

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(with inputs from agencies)