Pirates boarded the tanker and kidnapped 15 crew
LAGOS, July 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Chemical tanker CURACAO TRADER was attacked in the Gulf of Guinea, 230 nautical miles south of Lagos, Nigeria, while en route from Lome. Togo to undefined port.
Pirates boarded the tanker and kidnapped 13 crew, according to Dryad/IMB report. They’re believed to be of Russian and Ukrainian nationalities.
The tanker’s automatic information system (AIS) was off after pirates boarded tanker, and reappeared at around 1850 UTC, south of attack position, moving in northern direction at a reduced speed.
An official statement said : “Alison Management Corp. as management company of the chemical/bunkering tanker MV Curacao Trader , IMO No:9340908 advises that its vessel was attacked by pirates approx. 210 miles off the coast of Benin at 1100 hrs local time on 17th July.
“13 out of its 19 Ukranian and Russian crew members have been taken hostage by the pirates – as a result the ship is currently drifting with limited man power on board. Immediate assistance has been secured from nearby refrigerated carrier MV Frio Chikuma , owned by Laskaridis.” — NNN-AGENCIES
