Hijacked supertanker in pirates’ lair

Hijacked supertanker in pirates’ lair – Agencies (The Standard - 19/11/08)

A hijacked Saudi supertanker, carrying US$100 million (HK$780 million) of oil, has anchored off a notorious Somali pirate port, officials said, as the international community reeled from the growing threat from sea gangs.

Vela International, shipping subsidiary of The Sirius Star owners Saudi Aramco, said the 25 crew were unharmed and crisis teams have been set up to try to win their release and the return of the vessel.

Meanwhile, a Hong Kong cargo ship loaded with wheat bound for Iran has been hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

There were 25 crew members on board, none of them from Hong Kong or the mainland. The ship was carrying 36,000 tonnes of wheat.

The biggest act of piracy yet by the marauding Somali bandits was condemned by Saudi Arabia, with its foreign minister calling piracy a growing “disease” and experts saying few ships are now safe in the Indian Ocean.

Bile Mohamoud Qabowsade, an adviser to the president of Somalia’s breakaway state of Puntland, said The Sirius Star was now off the coast at the pirate lair of Harardhere, 300 kilometers north of Mogadishu.

“We have been receiving some information and we now know that the ship is anchored near Harardhere,” Qabowsade said.

The supertanker-with its crew of 25 from Britain, the Philippines, Poland, Croatia and Saudi Arabia, and loaded with two million barrels of oil-was seized at the weekend. The Polish government said the captain of the Sirius Star and a technician are Polish.

It is the size of three football fields and three times the weight of a ‘US aircraft carrier, and is the largest ship ever seized by pirates. The hijacking was the furthest out to sea that Somali bandits struck, according to the US Navy.

2. Summary

Hijacking is very active around the East coast of Somalia recently. A Saudi supertanker which carried US$100 million of oil and anchored off a notorious port was hijacked. This ship is called The Sirius Star that its owner said the 25 crew were unharmed and crisis teams have been set up to try to save them. There were 25 crew members on board, none of them from Hong Kong. The ship is the size of three football fields and three times the weight of a US aircraft carrier, and is the largest ship seized by pirates. Meanwhile, a Hong Kong cargo ship loaded with wheat to Iran has been hijacked by pirates as well.

3. Feedback

The number of hijacking of oil tankers in the Somalia is rising. Especially this case, the ship of The Sirius Star is carrying HK$780 million of oil that the crisis teams cannot fire the ship or attack it by force. It is not easy to save the 25 crew who boarded the ship. Not only this hijacked action, but Hong Kong cargo ship was hijacked by the pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Therefore, we need to keep a closing eye on this problem and solve it more quickly. If not, it would happen again on the other ships. It is not the situation that everyone wants to see and hope to occur repeatedly. For this case, I hope that the 25 crew would be safe and unharmed. In additional, the detestable pirates can be arrested and ensure the ships’ safety.