In one of their boldest moves yet, Somali pirates have hijacked a loaded supertanker 800 miles off the African coast.
28 crew members on the Greek flagged Maran Centaurus were taken hostage Sunday. They are comprised of 16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and one Romanian, said a spokesman with the EU Naval force.
According to Lloyd’s List, the vessel is a very large crude carrier, also known as a VLCC, with a capacity of over 300,000 tons. With oil trading at around $75 million USD, the cargo’s value is close to $20 million USD.
The situation poses a grave risk to the environment and a major security threat as the ship represents a potential floating bomb, were the terrorists to commit drastic action.
"You're sitting on a huge ship filled with flammable liquid. You don't want somebody with a gun on top of that," said U.K. based piracy expert Roger Middleton.
Of the dozens of hijackings during the past few years, this is reportedly only the second successful one upon an oil tanker. Last year, a Saudi supertanker was held for two months and released after a $3 million ransom was paid.
Read more here.Associated Press
To reply to this message, enter your reply in the box labeled "Message", hit "Post Message."
