Pirates hijack ship with 21 Indian sailors: India

AFP 21/08/2011 5:33 pm

Suspected Somali pirates have hijacked a tanker with 21 Indian sailors on board near a port in Oman, India's government shipping agency said. The Mumbai-based Director General of Shipping (DGS) said in a statement that the Fairchem Bogey was hijacked on Saturday while it was at anchor outside the port of Salalah. Piracy for ransom is a well-organised and lucrative operation in Somalia that has expanded into a vast area off the coast. In 2010 a record 1,181 seafarers were kidnapped by pirates, according to marine safety experts. The Fairchem Bogey, managed by Mumbai-based Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, was seized while it was waiting for berthing instructions. "The Omani Coast Guard... were warned off by the pirates who asked them to move away to avoid casualties to the crew," Anglo-Eastern Ship Management said in the statement. Oman lies at the mouth of the Gulf, a strategic, heavily patrolled waterway which channels the bulk of the world's crude oil shipments. In June this year, six Indian sailors were freed after being held for 10 months by Somali pirates. They were kept in chains, often without food or water and said they were treated "like animals". More than 100 suspected pirates have been caught and are awaiting trial in India following a series of skirmishes with the navy near the country's Lakshadweep islands this year.

Bad weather delays anchoring of MV Fairchem Bogey

Our Correspondent 24/08/2011 9:29 am

Poor weather conditions have forced pirates on board the MV Fairchem Bogey, which was hijacked on Saturday near the Port of Salalah anchorage, to move further south and down the coast of Somalia.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the vessel's Anglo Eastern Ship Management said that weather conditions had deteriorated following its arrival off the African coast. The pirates apparently had to abandon plans to anchor in a bid to escape the inclement weather conditions still prevailing in the area. The ship's management is yet to hear about any ransom demand from the pirates, although the ship's master again reported about the well being of the crew. 'As of 11pm (Monday, local time), adverse local weather conditions have made anchoring impossible and MV Fairchem Bogey has left the Bandar Beyla area and is heading further south, along the Somalian coast,' read the statement. 'As of this morning there has still been no contact with the pirates, however the (ship's) master has advised that under the circumstances, the crew is being treated reasonably well.' The vessel, normally carrying industrial and commercial chemicals, was empty when it was seized. The vessel had dropped off its armed security team in Muscat few days prior to its hijacking from the Port of Salalah anchorage. It has also emerged that the incident was the second such attack in 24 hours near Omans coast. It has been found that another chemical tanker was attacked by suspected pirates in fast boats 55 nautical miles south south-west of Salalah on Sunday afternoon. The vessel successfully repelled the attack and continued her voyage, according to International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting centre. A suspected pirate mothership was also noted as being in the vicinity at the time of the incident.

Somali pirates getting desperate: EU NAVFOR

Richard Thomas 14/09/2011 9:45 am

The attacks near the Port of Salalah anchorage and along the Omani coast over the past few weeks could be acts of desperation by Somali pirates, according to the EU NAVFOR anti-piracy mission to the region. Taking place in August amidst many other merchant ships the hijacking of the MV Fairchem Bogey tanker was unexpected as Omani maritime security forces are capable in preventing such incidents. The attack, just a few nautical miles from the Omani coast, has resulted in a tightening of security by authorities.

The pirating of the MV Fairchem Bogey off Salalah was unexpected as the Omani Coastguard and Navy are very professional and for the pirates to risk operating in Omani territorial waters indicates that they are either willing to take greater risks or are getting desperate, said Commander Harry Harrison RN. On September 6, another piracy-related incident near Sur resulted in the deaths of two Indian crew members and one suspected Somali pirate in an exchange of gunfire with Omani forces. Such has been the concentration of incidents around Salalah, EU NAVFOR suspects that they all originated from a single pirate action group, or PAG, who stay at sea for sustained periods of time searching for targets. The other unsuccessful attacks are probably from the same group and we estimate a PAG may have been operating in the area. As ever, we are continuing to monitor the area and remain alert for any indication of a PAG, said Commander Harrison.