NAIROBI, March 30 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The hijacking of a Danish tanker was confirmed here by sources of the shipping company, according to which the vessel disappeared from radars last Saturday.
The ship, named Monjasa Reformer, sailing under the Liberian flag, was boarded by the pirates, who have not yet made demands for the release of the 16 crew members, the owners of the ship, which was refueling in the area, added.
Usually the hijacking of merchant ships results in the demand of large sums of money by the kidnappers who carried out the boarding, according to the Congo authorities.
The owners of the vessel requested the cooperation of the authorities in the area and of the ships transiting the area to gather information.
The hijacking of the vessel marks the return of pirates to the Gulf of Guinea after a lull of several months and the consequent decline in similar operations for which organized groups of mostly Nigerian nationals are blamed.
Available statistics reflect that 20 pirate attacks were recorded in 2022, 30 fewer than in 2021 and well below the 115 that occurred in 2020.
