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Friday, June 07, 2013

Pirates release Pakistani crew kidnapped two weeks ago off Nigeria

Reuters reports "Pirates release Pakistani crew kidnapped off Nigeria":
Pirates have released five Pakistani crew they kidnapped from an oil tanker off the Nigerian
coast two weeks ago, security sources said on Thursday.

Increasing piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region, which includes Africa's No. 1 oil producer Nigeria and is a significant source of cocoa and metals for world markets, is jacking up costs for shipping firms operating there.

Armed pirates attacked the Nigerian-flagged MT Matrix and abducted the five Pakistani crew on May 25 about 40 nautical miles off the coast of the oil-producing Bayelsa state, a stretch of water frequently plagued by armed gangs.

The two security sources said the men, who worked for an oil servicing company, were released unharmed.

There were two attacks in the Gulf of Guinea in April in which foreigners were kidnapped and released a few weeks later. Security sources believe ransoms were paid - an increasingly lucrative business for criminal gangs who used to take more interest in simply stealing the oil on board the tankers. (emphasis added)
What you pay for you will most assuredly get more of . . .

1 comment:

  1. I doubt that it helps that most people get their idea of pirates from Pirates of the Carribean. They think of them as delightful rascals, who do no real harm. I wish people would start paying more attention.

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