Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management

Tanker pirated while conducting STS operations off West Africa! September 14, 2011

The IMB has reported that a tanker was pirated off the West coast of Africa and 23 of her crew taken hostage. The attack occurred Wednesday about 62 nautical miles from Benin’s capital of Cotonou. The bureau said the pirates took over the vessel, kidnapped its crew and sailed to an unknown location.

Updated reports indicate that the master sent SSAS alert, the crew locked themselves in engine room and contacted their companies CSO. Sometime later the pirates left the vessel. The crew came out of the engine room and conducted a search for the pirates and found the vessel to be safe. The crew regained control of the vessel.

Attacks off West Africa are becoming more and more common and brazen.  Companies are urged to take proactive measures to ensure that events such as this have less of a chance of occurring.  While the outcome was positive and the pirates ended up leaving the ship, the situation could have been far worse.