Crew members of the seized Danish oil tanker Monjasa Reformer have been kidnapped, its owner Monjasa said in a statement after locating the ship in the Gulf of Guinea.
However, the owner did not give details about the number and the nationalities of the crew members who are still with the pirates.
The French Navy found the ship on 30 March after a frantic search off the coast of Sao Tome and Principe where pirates boarded five days earlier, when there were six seafarers on the ship.
“The pirates had abandoned the vessel and brought a part of the crew members with them,” said the owner.
“The rescued crew members are all in good health and safely located in a secure environment and receiving proper attention following these dreadful events,” noted Monjasa’s statement.
Monjasa Reformer is a Liberia-flagged vessel, managed by Montec Ship Management. The 13,700-dwt product carrier, built in 2003, is a 135-metre-long ship and was sitting idle at the time of the incident.
After the pirates boarded the ship, according to the owner, the crew members took refuge in the tanker’s secure room “in accordance with the onboard anti-piracy emergency protocol”.
“Our thoughts are with the crew members still missing and their families during this stressful period,” Monjasa pointed out.
Expecting a safe return of the abducted crew members, the owner said it is working closely with the local authorities.
The Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade Gulf of Guinea in a tweet update said, “MT Monjasa Reformer is reported as located. Incident complete, vessel (is) safe.”
According to multiple reports, the ship or cargo did not face any damage during the incident.
Sharar Nayel
Asia Correspondent
