US-bound oil tanker seized by Somali pirates
US-bound oil tanker seized by Somali pirates
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Monday, 30, Nov 2009 12:21
By Richard James.
A Greek-owned oil tanker bound for the US has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia.
The Maran Centaurus is reported to have been commandeered around 600 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles while travelling to New Orleans.
The tanker's crew of 28 includes 16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and a Romania, a Greek coastguard official confirmed.
The 300,000-ton vessel is believed to have been seized by a group of nine armed pirates on Sunday.
The ship is now being shadowed by Greek naval frigate as part of the EU's anti-piracy operation in the region.
The waters around Somalia and East Africa have become rife with piracy with over 50 ships hijacked this year alone.
The region provides the perfect haven for pirates to prey on vessels travelling towards the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
Last year pirates seized the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star, carrying two million barrels of oil.
The tanker was eventually released in January for a reported $3 million ransom.