An SK Shipping tanker has been confirmed as the victim of a hijacking for the second time this year in the Gulf of Guinea.
Piracy reporting body Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade Gulf of Guinea had reportedly said communication had been lost with the 5,700-dwt B Ocean (built 2010) on Wednesday night, but its fate was unclear.
A security company, Ambrey said, yesterday: It was subsequently confirmed that pirates had boarded the vessel, cut communications, and had stolen cargo. The crew was reported to be safe.
Another security company, Africa Risk Compliance (ARC), said the vessel was released yesterday morning. The gunmen destroyed navigational and communications equipment. However, the crew reportedly alerted authorities.
The South Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yesterday, said that the crew on a South Korean-owned oil tanker has been released unhurt after the vessel was hijacked on 24 November. The 105-metre Chinese-built vessel has been owned by SK Shipping since 2012. AIS data shows the vessel left Abidjan on 1 October, bound for the high sea.
The tanker has been out of range since 12 November, according to Marine Traffic. The ship also suffered the last reported hijacking off West Africa, when pirates boarded off Abidjan in January, again stealing the cargo.
The incident was the first in the wider West African region for nearly a year.
