Somali pirates seize oil tanker bound for China
Source: Agencies |
May 6, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SOMALI pirates yesterday hijacked the China-bound oil tanker MV Moscow University carrying 23 Russian crew and US$52 million worth of crude oil 560 kilometers off the coast of Yemen.
"The oil is Chinese. It belongs to Unipec. It was sailing to (the Chinese) port of Ningbo," said a Russian shipping source, adding that the Russian-owned tanker had departed from Sudan carrying 86,000 tons of oil.
"This morning we had an attack on a Liberian-flagged ship Moscow University in the northeastern horn of our operation," Commander Rear Admiral Jan Thornqvist of the European Union's Navfor naval force told reporters in the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
"The crew members locked themselves in the radar room. This ship has been hijacked."
Somali sea bandits continue to outwit an international fleet of warships in the busy shipping lane linking Europe with Asia, raking in tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.
One pirate who identified himself as Abdi said the tanker was headed to a pirate lair on the coast of central Somalia and warned against any rescue mission.
"Any attempt to rescue the ship will certainly endanger the crew. The ship will be docked at Garacad," Abdi said, adding it was too early to talk about a ransom.
Russian media quoted military sources as saying a Russian warship deployed to the MV Moscow University was not expected to reach the tanker before the end of the day. It was not clear what the warship would do next.
Some oil tankers are sailing around southern Africa and further east into the Indian Ocean away from Somalia's coastline to avoid the Gulf of Aden and pirates who are striking deeper out at sea. But many continue to run the gauntlet through the busy Gulf of Aden shipping lane.
"The oil is Chinese. It belongs to Unipec. It was sailing to (the Chinese) port of Ningbo," said a Russian shipping source, adding that the Russian-owned tanker had departed from Sudan carrying 86,000 tons of oil.
"This morning we had an attack on a Liberian-flagged ship Moscow University in the northeastern horn of our operation," Commander Rear Admiral Jan Thornqvist of the European Union's Navfor naval force told reporters in the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
"The crew members locked themselves in the radar room. This ship has been hijacked."
Somali sea bandits continue to outwit an international fleet of warships in the busy shipping lane linking Europe with Asia, raking in tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.
One pirate who identified himself as Abdi said the tanker was headed to a pirate lair on the coast of central Somalia and warned against any rescue mission.
"Any attempt to rescue the ship will certainly endanger the crew. The ship will be docked at Garacad," Abdi said, adding it was too early to talk about a ransom.
Russian media quoted military sources as saying a Russian warship deployed to the MV Moscow University was not expected to reach the tanker before the end of the day. It was not clear what the warship would do next.
Some oil tankers are sailing around southern Africa and further east into the Indian Ocean away from Somalia's coastline to avoid the Gulf of Aden and pirates who are striking deeper out at sea. But many continue to run the gauntlet through the busy Gulf of Aden shipping lane.
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