A Bangladeshi bulker seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean appeared to be very vulnerable to the hijacking, a leading security company has said.
All 23 Bangladeshi seafarers are being held hostage on the 58,000-dwt Abdullah (built 2015) after the attack on Tuesday.
Footage posted to Facebook by one crew member shows a small boat travelling alongside the starboard bow while the vessel was underway.
Ambrey Analytics said the Abdullah appeared not to be conducting evasive manoeuvres at this point.
The sea was calm and no deterrents like razor wire or water hoses were in evidence.
The incident occurred 37 miles outside the Joint War Committee’s listed area, where such measures are normally in place as best management practice, the company added.
Crew members on the bridge can be heard saying: “They’ve got a hook on … he’s getting up” and “he has a gun”.
No alarm is audible in the video.
But a crew member stated the alarm was sounded immediately upon sighting the approaching skiff.
Assailants were wearing dark-coloured balaclavas and gloves with rifles strapped to their backs.
Mothership described
The pirates used a rope from a white Somali-style boat with a single outboard engine. No ladder was visible.
Ambrey said no private armed security team (PAST) was embarked on the bulker.
“Based on the video, Ambrey assessed that a standard PAST would have been effective in preventing the boarding,” the company added.
Ambrey has also seen footage of the mothership used in the raid.
This appeared to be a dhow with a round stern, with white decks and a dark hull.
The bulker was forced to share fuel with the dhow, which was running low.
The crew members are safe and uninjured, Bangladeshi owner KSRM’s SR Shipping unit told Bloomberg.
Meherul Karim, chief executive of SR Shipping, told the Business Standard the vessel was still heading towards Somalia on Tuesday.
“We are yet to receive any ransom call from the pirates. Things are not that easy. It takes time. However, we are trying to contact different organisations to reach out to the pirates,” he added.
KSRM has been contacted for comment.
