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Pirates shoot 2, make off with the cash
Pirates shot two crew members in the legs after boarding a bulk carrier off the West African state of Benin, the International Maritime Bureauâs (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre said.Five armed robbers held two people hostage, including the shipâs watchman, as they attacked the vessel, used to haul grain and coal, on Dec 24 near Contonou, in the Bight of Benin. Pirates shot the crew members before fleeing with stolen cash and the masterâs personal belongings, the Kuala Lumpur-based centre said on its Web site. The shipâs master reported that almost every day pirates attempt to board the vessel, said the IMB, which is part of the International Chamber of Commerceâs Commercial Crime Services unit. The incident was one of three during the week ended Dec 29. About five small boats were reported following a bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia, on Dec 28. Crew members fired signal rockets after two of the boats closed in on both sides of the ship. Four days earlier, pirates failed to board a vehicle-carrier in the South China Sea when the vesselâs crew switched on the shipâs floodlights, the centre said. Pirates hijacked a tugboat and barge off Indonesia and ordered its 14-member crew to jump overboard in the last week of November. Fifteen armed robbers attacked the vessels that were bound for Singapore, the IMB said. The barge was found the next day, though the tugboat is still missing. The Singapore-registered vessel may have changed its name, colour and flag, the IMB said. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-01-02 |
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