The hijacked Singapore-registered oil tanker, Success 9, has been recovered and escorted to Abidjan port in Ivory Coast last Saturday, five days after it was captured by pirates, approximately 300 nautical miles south of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, in the Gulf of Guinea, according to MarineLink.
The hijack happened mid-day local time on Monday, April 10, when she was boarded by pirates but was rescued on Apr 14 or 15, reportedly 65 nm SE of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and was taken to Abidjan same day, with all 20 crew safe, without kidnappings. She was loaded with unspecified oil product, the main and only aim of hijack, as it came out.
Part of the oil Cargo was siphoned by the pirates as they commandeered it for 4-5 days, moving around in waters with rather intense traffic, near coastal States inner waters, with ongoing full-scale search operation, and remained unnoticed. Its AIS equipment was switched off.
The Information Fusion Centre (IFC) and the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), which had been coordinating the international search effort, were informed. A Cote d’Ivoire navy patrol vessel was dispatched, backed by a French navy aircraft, and reached the Success 9, according to Ivorian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lassina Doumbia said in a statement.
The Ivorian team boarded the ship confirming the safety of the crew and arranged for the vessel to proceed to Abidjan. The Success 9, built in 2003, is a 6,135 dwt product tanker owned by HS Ocean of Singapore.
South Korea’s foreign ministry provided additional details according to a report from the Korean news agency Yonhap saying that the ministry had been in contact with its citizens who were among the 20 crew members of various nationalities. They said the pirates abandoned the tanker after stealing cargo and the crew’s personal belongings. All the crewmembers have been accounted for and were unharmed.