Sunday August 31, 2008 MYT 7:52:28 PM
MISC tanker on way to pirates' port of Eyl
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian tanker MT Bunga Melati Lima is on its way to the pirates’ coastal base of Eyl where six other vessels are being held, said a Somali official.
One of the six vessels is the other MISC-owned ship MT Bunga Melati Dua which was hijacked on Aug 19.
Abdulqadir Muse Yusuf, Assistant Fisheries Minister in the northern Somali region of Puntland, said villagers of Alula, Bargal and Eyl were providing the pirates with supplies and said radio operators on the coast were also helping the gangs.
“The pirates are increasing dramatically in numbers and in strength,” said Abdulqadir.
The MT Bunga Melati Lima was carrying 30,000 tonnes of petrochemicals from Yanbu in Saudi Arabia to Singapore when it was seized on Friday in the Gulf of Aden.
Thirty-six Malaysians and five Filipino temporary maintenance crewmembers were onboard when the hijacking took place. The latest incident pushes the number of Malaysians held captive by Somali pirates to 65.
MISC said the tanker had been travelling “within the vicinity” of a security corridor set up last week by a multinational anti-terrorism task force in response to the sharp rise in attacks.
The national shipping company said coalition naval forces were unable to stop the hijacking out of concern for the safety of the crewmembers.
The International Maritime Bureau has again called on ships at the Gulf of Aden to keep a strict 24-hour visual and radar watch to avoid being attacked by pirates.
IMB’s piracy reporting centre head Noel Choong said early assessment and detection would allow ships to quickly alter their course or increase their speed while also giving time to alert authorities.
He said although Western coalition forces had set up a security patrol area in the region, there was no guarantee that it was 100% safe. Choong said the help of the United Nations and the international community was desperately needed.
Last week, Somali gunmen seized a record four ships in 48 hours, and are now holding about 130 crew hostage on at least nine vessels from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Germany, Nigeria and Iran. – Agencies.
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