Pirates have seized two European-owned tankers off the coast of Somalia in the past day, officials have said. The Greek-owned vessel Nipayia, with 19 crew on board, was seized on Wednesday, the Nato Shipping Centre said. The Norwegian-owned tanker Bow Asir was captured by pirates on Thursday. It had a crew of 27 on board, the Norwegian Shipowners' Association said.
| According to a related article in the Times Online, the Norwegian ship was 250 miles and the Greek ship was 450 miles off the coast. That's a good ways off the coast. They need a stout mother ship that can stay out at sea for quite a while. And they need good intel. Wonder where they're getting it? |
The 9,000-tonne Nipayia was captured about 450 miles from the southern Somali port of Kismayo, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force (EU Navfor), told the BBC. The crew in both hijacked vessels were believed to be unharmed, the spokesman said. The Nipayia has a Filipino crew, according to the website of the EU's Maritime Security Centre.