The Greek-operated oil tanker that was seized off Togo on Tuesday has been tracked down off the coast of Nigeria under the control of pirates, the ship's operator and Togolese authorities have said.
The Panamax tanker was seized while storing its 56,000 metric-ton cargo at anchor about nine miles from Togo’s capital of Lome.
The ship may have been targeted by the same pirates who hijacked a smaller vessel on Aug. 19 and stole its gasoil cargo, said Richard Mcenery, chief operations officer at security company Ocean Protection Services.
The Greek-operated oil tanker that was seized off Togo on Tuesday has been tracked down off the coast of Nigeria under the control of pirates, the ship's operator and Togolese authorities have said.
The Panamax tanker was seized while storing its 56,000 metric-ton cargo at anchor about nine miles from Togo’s capital of Lome.
The ship may have been targeted by the same pirates who hijacked a smaller vessel on Aug. 19 and stole its gasoil cargo, said Richard Mcenery, chief operations officer at security company Ocean Protection Services.
"The vessel is presently sailing off the coast of Nigeria under the control of pirates who have the intention to steal the cargo," Golden Energy Management said in a statement.
The firm said they were in touch with a French naval ship that was nearby.
The crew are believed to be in good health and unharmed, the statement added. The Greek coastguard said there were 24 people on board, none of whom were Greek.
Spokesman for the Togolese army chief of staff; Colonel Inoussa Djibril, , confirmed that the ship had been located on Wednesday morning in Nigerian waters with the pirates onboard.
The cargo’s value is based on a gasoil price of $964.50 a ton in northwest Europe, excluding freight costs.
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