hijackings

Houthis Reject UN’s Plea To Release Hijacked Vessel Claiming It Carried Weapons

cargo ship sunset

The Houthis strongly criticized the UN’s Security Council, better known as the UNSC, for demanding the release of a seized UAE-flagged vessel. The Houthis seized the vessel ‘Rwabee’, which was transporting supplies from the Yemeni island of Socotra to the port of Jazan on 3 January.

Hussein Al-Azzi Houthi, the Militia official, right away rejected the UN’s plead to free the hijacked ship. Instead, he again repeated that the vessel was loaded with weapons to Support Legitimacy for Coalition in...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/houthis-reject-uns-plea-to-release-hijacked-vessel-claiming-it-carried-weapons/

India Pleads For Release Of Seafarers On Board Vessel Hijacked By Houthis

cargo ship sunset

At the UN Security Council or the UNSC, India has called on Houthi rebels to expedite the release of the country’s crew members from a vessel hijacked off the Yemen coast.

Showing “grave concern” at the UAE-flagged ship’s hijacking, T. S. Tirumurti, the country’s envoy to the UN urged the Houthis to release both the ship and the crew members right away. The Houthis must also take the responsibility of ensuring the safety of crew members until release.

Last week, the Rawabi vessel was hijacked by...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/india-pleads-for-release-of-seafarers-on-board-vessel-hijacked-by-houthis/

11 Crew Members From 5 Countries Held Onboard Vessel Hijacked By Yemen-Backed Rebels

oil tanker anchored

A Yemeni-hijacked vessel has 11 seamen from five countries, the UAE informed the President of the UN Security Council on Monday. Of 11, seven members are Indians while the rest are from Myanmar, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Indonesia, the UAE’s representative mentioned in a letter as reported by AFP.

The “act of piracy” on the Rwabee on 2 January was also actively denounced. The rebels have stated that they seized the Rwabee in Yemeni waters and have also published a video showing military...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/11-crew-members-from-5-countries-held-onboard-vessel-hijacked-by-yemen-backed-rebels/

GULF SKY Hijacking Incident Under Investigation Now

Gulf-Sky-crew

The geo-political case of the hijacking in July 2020 of the GULF SKY from UAE waters to Iran with 28 Indian crew has been further investigated by the BBC in a long-read article now available on-line.

First reported by HRAS on 27 May 2020 as a case of alleged welfare and labour rights abuse of seafarers onboard the vessel anchored in the UAE’s Khor Fakkan Anch anchorage, the matter unexpectedly escalated in mid-July when, on 14 July 2020, HRAS reported increasing concerns as to the whereabouts of...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/gulf-sky-hijacking-incident-under-investigation-now/

Crew Of Tanker ‘Asphalt Princess’ Prevents Hijack By Sabotaging Its Engine

MV Asphalt Princess at anchorage

Around 5-6 armed terrorists boarded Asphalt Princess, a Panama flagged oil tanker and tried to take control of the ship. They wanted to divert the tanker to Iran, but the crew onboard quickly jumped into action and sabotaged the ship’s engine so that the vessel cannot move any further.

None of the crew members suffered any injuries in the hijack attempt, and the Iranian gunmen were forced to flee the ship once US and Omani warships arrived at the scene.

When Asphalt Princess suffered what the UK...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/crew-of-tanker-asphalt-princess-prevents-hijack-by-sabotaging-its-engine/

British Navy Group Issues Warnings Of “Potential Ship Hijack” Off UAE Coast

MV Asphalt Princess at anchorage

The British Navy issued warnings of a “potential ship hijack” of a Panama-flagged ship miles away from the United Arab Emirates coast in the Gulf of Oman. The incident comes to light amid heightened tensions between Iran and the West over Iran’s tattered nuclear deal and the subsequent economic sanctions imposed by the US on Iran.

Lloyds List of Maritime Intelligence has confirmed that the ship, a bitumen tanker named MV Asphalt Princess, has further been ordered to sail to Iran. It is sailing...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/british-navy-group-issues-warnings-of-potential-ship-hijack-off-uae-coast/

Ten Men Jailed In Nigeria Over Chinese Ship Hijacking

gavel

On Friday, a Nigerian court sentenced ten men to twelve years of prison over the hijacking of a Chinese-flagged merchant ship in 2020. Navy officials in Nigeria upheld the verdict stating that harsh punishment will be implemented and only that will tackle any piracy that occurs in the waters off the coasts of Nigeria.

The navy successfully rescued around 18 crew members of the unbound Chinese vessel from the notorious ten pirates. They rescued them on May 15, 2020.

The pirates were all nationals...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/ten-men-jailed-in-nigeria-over-chinese-ship-hijacking/

Maersk Urges Global Action After Ship Hijacked In Gulf Of Guinea

maersk-line

Piracy attacks in Nigeria have always been a cause of concern for shippers as repeated attacks and hijacks puts cargo vessels and maritime trade in jeopardy. This time too a similar piracy attack resulted in a Maersk ship being hijacked.

Maersk Containership Hijacked

Reports suggest that multiple piracy attacks scared a Nigerian LNG vessel, LNG Lagos II. This gave enough time for the pirates to board and hijack a Maersk cargo ship in the Bonny Island waters.

According to a Dryad Global advisory,...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/maersk-urges-global-action-after-ship-hijacked-in-gulf-of-guinea/

Tanker Ship Sought By U.S. Over Iran Sanctions Was “Hijacked”, Seafarers Group Says

Seafarers’ Challenges During COVID-19 The Case Of MV Gulf Sky

A sanctioned oil tanker that recently left the UAE port on July 5, 2020, violating its ‘Prohibition to Sail’ notice has been hijacked, reported the seafarers’ organization Human rights at Sea.

The oil tanker, that was sought by the US over evasion of sanctions is licensed to an Iran individual – Amir Dianat, also called Ameer Abdulazeez Jaafar Almthaje.

Human Rights at Sea was the first to bring it to notice after signals received from the vessel about 8 days ago. The observation of the location...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/tanker-ship-sought-by-u-s-over-iran-sanctions-was-hijacked-seafarers-group-says/

Boskalis Vessel Blue Marlin Hijacked Off The Coast Of West Africa

boskalis

The Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) heavy transport vessel Blue Marlin was hijacked on Sunday approximately 80 nautical miles offshore Equatorial Guinea. Through the professional response of the crew and the coordinated support from the navy of Equatorial Guinea and Spain, the violent hijacking has been ended and the crew was safely freed.

Peter Berdowski, CEO Boskalis
“I want to express my compliments to our crew for their extremely professional and adequate actions in this life...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/boskalis-vessel-blue-marlin-hijacked-off-the-coast-of-west-africa/

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