Equatorial Guinea: 10 pirates arrested after attacking a Maltese boat

The Equatorial Guinean military navy has arrested ten pirates who attacked Maltese-flagged ship Malabo on Sunday, freeing 20 crew members who had taken refuge in an emergency compartment, AFP reported on Tuesday. the Equatorial Guinean authorities.

“I congratulate the heroic action of our armed forces” who intervened after “a call for help from a boat (…) attacked by a star with on board ten pirates,” said a statement from the vice- President of the Defense and Security Equatorial Guinean Teodorin Nguema Obiang read Tuesday on state radio.

“Thanks to the swift intervention of our armed forces, (we) managed to save the crew on board and arrest the ten pirates, whose alleged nationality is Nigerian,” he added.

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Source: afrique.lalibre.be

Photos: Spanish Navy Rescues Heavy Lift Ship from Pirates

On Sunday, the heavy lift ship Blue Marlin was hijacked off the coast of Equatorial Guinea. The Spanish Navy and forces from Equatorial Guinea boarded the vessel and secured it early on Monday morning.

After unloading her cargo in the waters of Equatorial Guinea, the Blue Marlin departed Sunday, bound for Malta. On Sunday afternoon, the ship was approached by a zodiac and forcibly boarded by seven armed pirates. All twenty of the Marlin’s crew members were able to secure themselves in the ship’s citadel, which is equipped with communications gear and emergency rations.

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Source: maritime-executive.com

Spanish and Equatorial Guinea forces secure the Blue Marlin (Estado Mayor de la Defensa)

Heavy lift ship hijacked – Gulf of Guinea (May 5th)

MV attacked and boarded by seven suspected pirates in a single speedboat at 1216 UTC in position 03:04.14N – 007:55.01E, around 90nm SE of Bonny Island, Nigeria. Crew retreated into the citadel. At 0803 UTC (6 May) vessel reported HIJACKED. Pirates reportedly attempt to enter citadel. NATO naval asset in vicinity. At 1430 UTC (6 May) the vessel and crew reported safe and under escort by a warship. Reported (MDAT) 5 May. Via OCEANUSLive.org

Crew Of Pirates Captured By Spanish Soldiers

The crew of the frigate ‘Navarra’ has carried out the device in the framework of the Atalanta mission; the operation is still open.

Spanish soldiers of the Navarra frigate have intercepted a pirate vessel and captured the crew, which in the previous days had attacked two ships -one of them, Spanish-. The episode took place on the morning of this Tuesday in the waters of the Indian Ocean , in the framework of the Atalanta operation of the European Union to fight against piracy. The device has culminated with the release of a Yemeni fisherman who had been kidnapped for four days.

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Source: maritimeherald.com

Piracy attack off the coast of Somalia

On 21 April, fishing vessels FV Adria and FV Txori Argi were attacked by suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, 280 NM off the coast of Somalia. The piracy attacks were thwarted, and the crew and vessels remained safe, thanks to the application of Best Management Practices (BMP) protection measures by the Masters, the crews and the private security teams embarked on both fishing vessels.

EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta confirms these attacks. It is likely that the attacks were facilitated by a mothership, which was reportedly seized by armed men on 19 April off the central Somali Coast.

EU NAVFOR subsequently dispatched its Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircrafts to search the area. In addition, EU NAVFOR flagship ESPS Navarra left the port in Mombasa in order to proceed into the area.

On 23 April, ESPS NAVARA successfully intercepted and boarded the dhow being used as a mothership.

The operation is still ongoing, and more details will be provided upon completion.
EU NAVFOR remains committed to deterring, preventing and suppressing piracy and emphasizes that the Maritime Industry must adhere to BMP measures in order to maximize the safety of the ship and their crews whilst transiting the high-risk area.

Source: eunavfor.eu

Spanish Patrol Boat Rescues Hijacked Ship Off Nigeria

A SPANISH patrol boat rescued a Nigerian merchant ship which had been kidnapped by pirates in the Guinean Gulf, reports the ministry of defence.

The P-71 Serviola is based on the west African coast and was carrying out security operations on Tuesday when its crew located the ship, which was navigating ‘erratically’ and without transmitting via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). Spanish Naval officials radioed the ship’s crew, who confirmed they had been hijacked four days ago.

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Source: oceanuslive.org