Statistics of pirated and released vessels and crews 2010 – 2012
Maritime Bulletin http://www.odin.tc
Updated Jan 02 2013
Classification of highjacked vessels
Filed in Table only ocean-going merchant marine vessels, with unique IMO number, with more or less transparent history and known owners and operators, with known number and nationalities of crews.
No local vessels included, almost all of them, with regards to Somali piracy region, are so-called “dhow’. They are engaged in regional trade, goods may be anything from charcoal to illegal migrants. They don’t have IMO number, they aren’t listed in international reference books, they aren’t insured with international insurers, their owner may be any petty company or person along the coastlines of India, Pakistan, Persian Gulf, Oman or Red Sea. For world shipping, these vessels, their owners, their masters and their crews, are simply non-existent. Their costs may be thousands of USD, even maybe tens of thousands, but not anywhere close to the costs of international freighters. Their goods may cost thousands or tens of thousands USD, but not anywhere close to costs of cargoes carried by international freighters. To include in statistics local vessels means to mess all up – even those who’re trying to monitor hijacked local vessels can’t tell exact details of vessels and crews (including number of crews and nationalities), and hijack circumstances, whether vessel was really hijacked or it was prearranged, and vessel stays with pirates on some agreement.
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11 Land hostages:
7 seamen: 7 Indian crew from released tanker Asphalt Venture.
4 fishermen from Thai f/v Prantalay 12.
Total 26 (11+15) seamen, fishermen and yachtsmen.
Crews by nationality:
India: 7*(Asphalt Venture)
Sri Lanka 7(Albedo)
Thailand: 4* (f/v Prantalay 12)
* seamen and fishermen kept in captivity on land
Type of vessels:
Boxships - 1
List of merchant vessels presently held by Somali pirates
Boxship Albedo, Malaysia
Boxship Albedo highjacked on Nov 26 2010 in Indian ocean, vessel was enroute from Jebel Ali UAE to Mombasa Kenya, loaded with containers. Crew 23, nationalities Pakistan, Bangladesh, Shri Lanka, Iran. Albedo IMO 9041162, dwt 15562, built 1993, flag Malaysia, owner Majestic Enrich Shipping Sendirian Berhad.
Intitially crew of 23 was reported, but latest news say, that “one crew member, an Indian, has died from cholera, while the others, seven Pakistanis including the captain, seven Sri Lankans, six Bangladeshis and one Iranian have survived the ordeal, each losing 20kg to 30kg”, which makes the crew of 22, not 23. 7 Pak crew, incl Captain, were released against alleged $1.2 mil ransom
* - sum of the ransom reported by pirates, no confirmation or otherwise from other sources, actual ransoms are at least 1/3 less than claimed.
** - Vessel was trading between Gulf countries and Somali for years without any problem, apparently under protection of some influential and powerful enough businessmen and groups in Somali, until she was hijacked on Feb 17 2012 by desperate pirates, who couldn’t but know about the protection, but didn’t care any more. Pirates were under considerable pressure from all involved parties, including olders, from the day of the hijack, and finally released the vessel for seemingly very realistic $150,000.
*** - bulk carrier Free Goddess ransom said to be either $5.7 or $2.3 million.
***** - South Korean officials say Somali pirates have released South Korean seamen from m/t Gemini (including master of the vessel), whom they had held for 19 months, after the payment of a ransom. A South Korean foreign ministry official said on Dec 1 2012 the ministry had assisted in ransom talks between the ship's owner and the pirates, but declined to say how much had been paid for their release. The men are now on board a South Korean navy ship.
The vessel’s release news:
On Nov 30 2011 pirates released product tanker Gemini against a ransom, with 21 crew, but kept 4 South Korean from originally 25 crew as hostages, including master of the vessel. Pirates said they keep South Korean sailors as hostages, because they are seeking an extra ransom for them from South Korea as a compensation for 13 pirates killed and arrested by South Korean Navy during the storm of hijacked South Korean tanker Samho Jewelry on January 21 2011. Pirates demand for the release of 4 sailors $4 million. As for m/t Gemini ransom, Somalia Report mentions $6 million and $4,05 million sums, both figures given by pirates or close to pirates sourced, so the real sum stays unknown.
April 30 2011 - Product tanker Gemini hijacked 200 nm SSE off Mombasa Kenya. Vessel was attacked at 0403 UTC April 30 in 07 01S 041 22E, on the way from Kuala Tanjung in Indonesia to Mombasa with 28,000 tons of crude palm oil from Indonesia. Chemical tanker Gemini IMO 8412352, dwt 29870, built 1986, flag Singapore, manager Glory Ship Management Pte Ltd, Singapore. Crew 25 – 13 Indonesians, 5 Chinese, 4 S Koreans, 3 Myanmar.
******ro-ro Iceberg I liberation
Dec 24: Garowe Online reported the ill-fated ro-ro Iceberg I was freed on Dec 23 12 by Puntland forces during the operation, which ended the long stand off between Puntland forces and pirates in Garacad. 22 crew are freed after going through one of the most tragic and longstanding ordeals in Somalia piracy history. Still, there are quite a number of discrepancies in stories told by media. Some say the Puntland forces freed Garacad, one of the most well-known pirates dens, from the pirates, and Iceberg I along with it. Some say the operation was intended to free the vessel. Most importantly, the number of the freed crew differs from the figures which were given earlier. It doesn’t sum up. It was generally understood earlier, that two crew members died during the captivity, the master was killed by pirates, and another crew committed suicide by jumping overboard. Now it is said that an engineer was killed, and third officer committed suicide. The original crew was 24, if two died, then 22 stayed alive and were freed on Dec 23?
On Dec 13 12 Puntland media published grim news on the attempt of Puntland forces to either free m/v Iceberg-1, or prevent delivering ammunition for pirates on board, news are confusing at this point. At least three pirates were killed in a gunfire, together with two crew members who were on the bridge.
Now Puntland say that the forces freed 22 crew, meaning that previous reports were wrong. Let’s just hope that the ongoing Puntland reports are true, that the crew was freed and that there are 22 people alive, not 20 or less. There are reasons to believe that the public will stay in dark as to what happened on board of the vessel, even the exact number of people who stayed alive may stay unknown. Maybe the IMO, IMB, Round Table and hired by them “think-tank” Oceans Beyond Piracy” will concoct one more “Study”, based on m/v Iceberg I story, to convince the public in the necessity of extra funds to be given to UN in order to “prosecute the pirates”.
Latest reports confirmed that 22 crew survived the captivity. The vessel is a total loss, being grounded long time ago.
Ro-ro Iceberg I was pirated on March 29 2010 10 nm off Aden, with 24 crew, including 9 Yemen, 6 India, 4 Ghana, 2 Sudan, 2 Pakistan, 1 Philippine nationalities. Master of the vessel was reportedly executed by pirates in 2011, another crew committed suicide jumping overboard. Vessel was reported to be abandoned by the owner, later grounded and recognized as a total loss. As it seems now, vessel is still afloat with the crew still on board. If all news are true, then, the crew is down to 20 people now. Iceberg I IMO 7429102, dwt 3960, built 1976, flag Panama, owner Azal Shipping & Cargo Dubai.
Comparative Table of Hijacks in years 2010 – 2011 - 2012
* - freed by Iranian commandos notwithstanding risk to the crews, 2 crew Eglantine died, at least 1 crew Xiang Hua Men wounded
* - sum of the ransom reported by pirates, no confirmation or otherwise from other sources
Total some $130 million. Favourite figure given by pirates was $4.5 million. Well, it doesn’t matter much, because all those millions pirates are bragging about hardly exist, actual ransoms were at least one third less, so my estimation is, pirates got in total something between $80-90 million.
Maritime Bulletin http://www.odin.tc