Pirates Kidnap Six Tanker Crew off Bonny Outer Anchorage
Six crew members of a Palau-flagged tanker were kidnapped by pirates off Nigeria last week.
The incident occurred at the Bonny Outer Anchorage on April 19, 2019, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre said.
Identified as the 3,100 dwt Apecus, the anchored tanker was boarded by unauthorized persons who kidnapped the six seafarers.
The remaining crew was reported safe, the IMB added.
The Nigerian Navy was notified and an investigation into the incident has been launched.
Built in Germany in 1973, Apecus is owned by the US-based Petronav Carriers, according to data provided by VesselsValue.
Nigerian pirates recently hijacked another merchant ship, robbing the vessel’s crew. The unidentified ship was freed in the Gulf of Guinea by a Spanish warship on April 9, 2019, having been held hostage by pirates for four days.
The incident was followed by one more pirate attack involving an anchored product tanker off Nigeria. On April 15, four persons armed with automatic weapons boarded an unnamed vessel at Bonny River Inner Anchorage. The onboard Nigerian naval guards returned fire resulting in the persons retreating into their boat and escaping, reports World Maritime News..
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