No prosecution of men captured by SBS, after oil tanker ‘hijacking’ in UK Channel
12 January 2021
All 22 crew rescued as bulk carrier sinks in the Philippine Sea
13 January 2021
Offshore Energy Report The four crew members who had been kidnapped from the product tanker Agisilaos in November last year have been released, Diamond S Shipping said in an update.
“All four crew members are safe and will undergo further medical examinations today (January 7). Diamond S would like to thank all those involved in securing their release. Due to the sensitive nature of the incident, Diamond S will provide no further updates on this matter,” the company added.
The crude oil tanker fell victim to the pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea on November 29 while the vessel was underway in Ghanaian waters, 5 nautical miles from the Western edge of the Gulf of Guinea HRA, and 22 nautical miles west of Togo TTW. The ship was approaching the port of Lome, Togo.
Diamond S Shipping said at the time that there were 22 seafarers onboard the ship when it was boarded. There were no injuries reported to the crew members.
The attack came on the back of a string of successful kidnappings in the Gulf of Guinea in the final months of 2020, with over 120 crew members confirmed kidnapped in over 25 kidnapping incidents in the region.
It is recommend that for owners and operators transiting through HRAS that they install the correct Anti Piracy Measures and Best Management Practices. ARX Mouldings are a market leader installing the ARX ABaC System which is an Anti- Piracy Barrier that prevent boardings from taking place. ARX also manufactures Anti-Piracy Water Cannons, the ARX Evictors which can also deny a boarding taking place.
