Piracy is in progress on the Greek-owned ship Tonsberg in the Gulf of Guinea, as announced yesterday (15.12) the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Danish Navy announced that pirates kidnapped a total of six crew members of the container ship, sailing in international waters off the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea).
The Polish Foreign Minister informed that “he received information regarding the abduction of members of the crew of the Tonsberg ship in the Gulf of Guinea and confirms that one of the abducted persons is a Polish citizen”, reports the APE-MPE, citing AFP. He also mentioned in the press release he published how he is in contact with diplomats of “other countries”, as well as with the ship-owning company to coordinate efforts to find and rescue the hostages.
One injured, 14 people remain on board
According to the Danish Navy, one of its frigates, Esbern Snare, which has been patrolling the area since November, chased the pirates, who left Tonsberg in a small boat on which the hostages.
A frigate helicopter followed them – from a distance, in order not to endanger the lives of the hostages, but was forced to stop when the pirates entered the territorial waters of Nigeria, as the rules of engagement of the Danish Navy do not allow them to enter waters of that country.
In addition to the six hostages, one injured person was rescued and received medical treatment on the frigate, while another 14 crew members are safe and sound and still remain on Tonsberg., told the Danish news agency Ritzau a representative of the country’s Defense Ministry.
According to the specialized website Marine Traffic, Tonsberg is currently off the coast of Benin.
Piracy for ransom is common
Attacks on ships aimed at abducting members of their crews for ransom have become very common in recent years in the Gulf. Guinea, which stretches for 5,700 km in West Africa. They are mainly committed by pirates from Nigeria.
At the bottom of the Gulf, which stretches from Senegal to Angola, there are large deposits of hydrocarbons, while the area is also rich in catches.
This area has become the global focus of illegal maritime activities99% of pirate sailors were abducted there in 2020, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Stable Seas Research Institute, released Tuesday.
(photo by marinetraffic.com)
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