Gulf of Aden. Pirates Seize New Ship

Pirates sea-jacked a cargo ship believed to be German owned and/or flagged and captured its 17-strong crew overnight in the Gulf of Aden, a Kenyan official said Saturday.

"A 31,000-tonne cereal carrier has been seized overnight (Friday to Saturday) in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden," said Andrew Mwangura, of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme. "It seems that its 17 crew members are unhurt," he said. The nationality of the crew was not immediately known.

Later U.S. Navy 5th Fleet's spokesman Lt. Nathan Christensen confirmed to AP that pirates seized the cargo ship early Saturday in the Gulf of Aden about 150 nautical miles (280 kilometers) southeast of the coastal Yemeni city of Muqalla. The ship, MV PATRIOT, is Maltese flagged. Christensen could not give the number or nationalities of the crew nor say what the ship's cargo is, but other sources speak of a high number of Filipino seafarers. The bulk carrier with a gross tonnage of 19,795 is owned by PATRIOT SCHIFFAHRTS GmbH of Germany and managed by BLUMENTHAL JMK of Hamburg and local reports say it is commandeered towards the Haradheere / Hobyo coast of central Somalia.

Source: Ecoterra Intl, April 25, 2009

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