The master and an engineer have been kidnapped from a product tanker off the coast of Benin, in what is a further escalation of violence off West Africa.
The vessel, said to be the 8,000-dwt St Marseille (built 2008), was approached late on Monday by five armed men in a speed boat, according to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre.
As they boarded the vessel they were confronted by the tanker’s armed security team and there was an exchange of fire injuring one of the guards.
As the armed intruders made their way to the ship’s bridge they fired upon and injured a second guard, said the IMB.
They then took the officer of the watch hostage as he had been unable to retreat to the ship’s citadel along with the rest of the ship’s crew.
They then demanded that the master, chief officer and chief engineer come on the bridge and that the ship weigh anchor.
However, the vessel was in ballast and had reportedly called at Cotonou Anchorage for bunkers.
When they were notified of this the pirates kidnapped the master and one engineer and stole crew property before leaving the tanker via its rescue boat.
However, once the armed men got ashore they released the master and engineer who were able to make contact with the local police and later rejoin the tanker.
“Two product tankers have been hijacked from Cotonou Anchorage since the start of 2018, but both hijacks ended within a matter of days and their crews were unharmed,” said UK-based security consultant Grey Page.
“In a separate incident, ten days before the attempted hijack of the St Marseille, armed intruders were spotted on the deck of another tanker at the port’s anchorage. They fled when an alarm was raised.
“Vessels in waters around Cotonou and Benin should maintain strict anti-piracy and watches, particularly at night.”
