Pirates boarded Portuguese flagged containership off Benin, 8 crew held hostage
A London, UK based security firm Dryad Global informs citing unnamed sources of an incident concerning illegal boarding of the Portuguese flagged containership TOMMI RITSCHER at Zone 3 Cotonou Anchorage (06° 16.8’N 002°31.8’E) in the Gulf of Guinea. The vessel was reportedly approached by a speedboat and subsequently boarded by an unknown number of persons. A Naval Patrol vessel (ZOU) has spotted the speedboat alongside the vessel and approached. On approaching the speedboat is understood to have fled leaving the perpetrators on board the TOMMI RITSCHER. The incident occured 3-4 nm offshore Benin, in the Gulf of Guinea, the report said.
Further reporting indicates that 11 crew members are locked in the citadel with a suspected 8 further crew members remaining outside the citadel.
Crew members of the containership are reportedly to be Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and the Philippines nationals.
The remaining 8 crew are currently believed to be being held on board the vessel.
Reporting on the morning of 20th April indicates that assistance had been sought from Nigeria who are understood to have dispatched a Nigerian patrol boat NNS OSE with a detachment of Nigerian Naval Special Boat Service arriving at 20:30hrs.
It is understood that the situation is ongoing and 8 crew remain held hostage on board the vessel.
Containership dimension: 255.36 x 37.39 m