Monday, February 01, 2010

Somali Pirates: Car Carrier as Mother-ship?

Have the Somali pirates taken a big captured car carrier to sea as a "mother-ship?" Yes, it says here:
The International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre said on 29 January: "A previously hijacked vehicle carrier with blue hull and white superstructure, which is still under the pirate control, was in position 05:17N - 050:31E, on a course of 140 and doing 15 kt. It is assessed pirates are using this vessel for their activities.”

The centre warned vessels to stay at least 100 n-miles from the ship’s stated position. Its movement was also reported by anti-piracy organisation Ecoterra, which said: "Somali pirates commandeered the sea-jacked vehicle carrier VC Asian Glory from the holding area off Hobyo towards the Seychelles in order to refuel one of the pirate mother-ships, which has run out of fuel."



Ship photo by Ron van de Velde from Shipspotting.com and used as allowed by the terms of that site.

Click on map to enlarge.

UPDATE (2 Feb): From here:
The M/V Asian Glory put to sea on Friday 29 January and headed south to rendezvous with suspected pirate groups in the Indian Ocean. On Saturday 30 January, she headed north and eventually made a rendezvous with the hijacked Dhow FAize Osamani.

The Faize Osamani was last reported leaving Karachi, bound for Mogadishu with a cargo of rice, on 28 November 2009. The ship’s Master, an all crew Indian crew of 14, reported to the owner that the ship had been hijacked on 6 January 2010 off Kismayo on the Somali coast. The pirated Faize Osamani was spotted by EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) approximately 150 nautical miles North East of Socotra, off the Horn of Africa and appeared to be dead in the water.

At the rendezvous position, the Asian Glory remained close by until the pirates from the Faize Osamani transferred to Asian Glory after which she got under way and headed for the Somali coast. Whilst EU NAVFOR MPA monitored the situation, a coalition force ship, HDMS Absalon of NATO TF 508 came to the assistance of the Faize Osamani and rendered medical and engineering assistance. After some small repairs and minor medical attention, the Faize Osamani proceeded on her voyage.

Asian Glory has arrived at the Somali coast once more and is thought to be anchored off the port of Garacad, north of Hobyo.

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