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Africa Subsaharan
Pirates seize oil tanker in Ivory Coast, say officials
2013-01-22
[FRANCE24] Armed men have hijacked a tanker carrying 5,000 tons of oil from an Ivory Coast port and taken it off the coast of Ghana, though its precise whereabouts are unknown, government authorities and maritime officials said Monday.

The Panamanian-flagged vessel ITRI was first seized Wednesday as the tanker was preparing to deposit oil at the port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast's commercial capital, said a statement from the Ivory Coast government - communicating for the first time on the case only Monday.

The statement said officials located the vessel off neighboring Ghana, and that authorities were mobilized.

The tanker, with 16 crew members aboard, was listed as missing, said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's pirate reporting center in Malaysia. He could not release information about the nationalities of the crew, but said in many previous cases, the pirates released the crew after they had siphoned out the oil and obtained any valuable cargo.

The ship initially had trouble docking because a sand storm reduced visibility, a government statement said. Later, the ship's captain radioed the port manager to report difficulty maneuvering. Shortly afterward, contact was lost with the vessel. Then ship consignee Koda Maritime informed port officials that gunnies had taken control of the tanker.
Posted by:Fred

#3  Couldnt dock because of a sand storm?, then had difficulties manouvering? - then taken by pirates? - With the plan that its just about the oil, not hostages. Hmmmm. Could be an inside the Bridge job.
Posted by: Northern Cousin   2013-01-22 21:31  

#2  An old Korean fishing trawler crewed by a detachment of the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, based at Aldershot. No liberty until the coolers are full of heads. The cost should be minimal. The results noteworthy.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-01-22 06:49  

#1  It seems to me the easiest counter would be to Blow the tanker to hell, along with any Baddies on her.

Pity about the crew.
Boo Hoo.

There would be a GREAT lessining of Hijacks then.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2013-01-22 05:01  

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