Pirates demand USD1.5 million for Danish ship and crew
Somali pirates who seized a Danish cargo ship, DANICA WHITE a number of weeks ago are demanding a fee of USD1.5 million for the safe return of the crew and ship.
Danica White was taken on 2 June while sailing more than 200 miles off the Somali coast en route to Mombasa (see related articles in Ports & Ships News Bulletins for 4 June, 5 June and 7 June). An American warship, USS CARTER HALL and a French warship were unable to prevent the attack because the captured ship had moved into Somali waters. Danica White has a crew of five and is now at anchorage off the Somali coast.
There are four ships currently being held by Somali pirates including Danica White. The other three are two South Korean vessels and a Taiwanese vessel. So far this year 10 ships have been highjacked by Somali pirates, resulting in the promise of action from the United Nations.
Meanwhile there is no sign of the missing ship REEF AZANIA which disappeared somewhere between Port Rashid, her last port of call on 18 June, and the Seychelles. At one time there were fears that this ship had also been highjacked by pirates but the feeling now is that the ship has probably sunk and the IMB is not treating the disappearance as a case of piracy. The ship, which is registered in St Vincent & Grenadines and was carrying general cargo, has a crew of 14 made up of eight Tanzanians and six Asians. The last contact was on 24 June while the ship was off the Yemeni island of Socatra.
In still another sea mystery off the Horn of Africa, the South Korean-flagged SEA PRINCE has also disappeared. The 2,426-gt general cargo ship, carrying a cargo of cereal was last seen leaving the port of Berbera in northern Somalia in May.
A third ship to disappear is the 2891-gt Panamanian-flagged INFINITY MARINE 1 which was last seen northeast of Somalia. Crew on board the general cargo ship, which is owned and managed by Emirates interests, sent off a distress signal on 26 June saying that she was taking water but since then nothing further has been heard. Searchers have reported debris in the vicinity of where the ship was last believed to be.
Danica White was taken on 2 June while sailing more than 200 miles off the Somali coast en route to Mombasa (see related articles in Ports & Ships News Bulletins for 4 June, 5 June and 7 June). An American warship, USS CARTER HALL and a French warship were unable to prevent the attack because the captured ship had moved into Somali waters. Danica White has a crew of five and is now at anchorage off the Somali coast.
There are four ships currently being held by Somali pirates including Danica White. The other three are two South Korean vessels and a Taiwanese vessel. So far this year 10 ships have been highjacked by Somali pirates, resulting in the promise of action from the United Nations.
Meanwhile there is no sign of the missing ship REEF AZANIA which disappeared somewhere between Port Rashid, her last port of call on 18 June, and the Seychelles. At one time there were fears that this ship had also been highjacked by pirates but the feeling now is that the ship has probably sunk and the IMB is not treating the disappearance as a case of piracy. The ship, which is registered in St Vincent & Grenadines and was carrying general cargo, has a crew of 14 made up of eight Tanzanians and six Asians. The last contact was on 24 June while the ship was off the Yemeni island of Socatra.
In still another sea mystery off the Horn of Africa, the South Korean-flagged SEA PRINCE has also disappeared. The 2,426-gt general cargo ship, carrying a cargo of cereal was last seen leaving the port of Berbera in northern Somalia in May.
A third ship to disappear is the 2891-gt Panamanian-flagged INFINITY MARINE 1 which was last seen northeast of Somalia. Crew on board the general cargo ship, which is owned and managed by Emirates interests, sent off a distress signal on 26 June saying that she was taking water but since then nothing further has been heard. Searchers have reported debris in the vicinity of where the ship was last believed to be.