Several countries in the EMASoH operation in the Strait of Hormuz, demanded that Iran immediately release the two tankers 'Advantage Sweet' and 'Niovi', which units from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard have seized. The first ship, the 'Advantage Sweet', was boarded by the Revolutionary Guard on April 27, 2023, in the Gulf of Oman, while the 'Niovi' was on its way out of the Strait of Hormuz when it was boarded on May 3. Both ships are now in Iranian waters off Bandar Abbas. EMASoH stated that the hijacking of the two ships took place in international waters and in violation of international law. The hijacking is a threat to safety at sea and the right to free navigation, it said in the declaration. EMASoH requird that the ships, crews and cargoes be released immediately and that the crews are treated well until this happens. Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal participate in EMASoH, which stands for European Maritime Awareness mission in the Strait of Hormuz. Report with photo: https://maritimedanmark.dk/?Id=50414
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SUCCESS 9
Th e'Success 9' was located on April 14 about 65 nautical miles southeast of Abijan off the Ivory Coast, and was taken to Abijan same day. All 20 crew members were safe, there were no kidnappings. The tanker was loaded with unspecified oil product which was the main and only aim of the hijack, and part of the cargo had been siphoned.
GREBE BULKER
Three crew members of the 'Grebe Bulker' have been abducted from the ship anchored off Gabon, ace 4.7 nautical miles off the Owendo anchorage. The captain, second mate and third mate were kidnapped. The remaining seafarers were safe and uninjured. The US owner’s Eagle Bulk Ship Management in Singapore confirmed the kidnappings and said the ship had arrived from Port Harcourt on April 30, 2023, and was awaiting loading instructions. Once it was discovered crew were missing, the ship was searched, and the local port authorities were informed. Security has been mobilised to the vessel, and a contingent of 17 crew members remained safely on board. Eagle Bulk said its priority is the ongoing safety and welfare of the crew. The attack is now believed to have occurred on May 1 at 12.30 a.m. UTC. The Gabonese river patrol boat 'Omboue' responded to the bulk carrier 2,5 hours after the attack, arriving at 04.10 a.m. UTC. There was no security personnel on the bulker. No damage to the vessel or cargo was reported.
SUCCESS 9
The owner of the 'Success 9' vessel has not been able to communicate with the vessel, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on April 13, four days after it was boarded by pirates around 570km off the Ivory Coast on April 9 with 20 crew members on board. The MPA has contacted the other authorities in the region, including the Ivory Coast and Ghanaian authorities, in addition to the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. The Ivory Coast authorities have deployed their air and sea assets to the vicinity of the last known position of the vessel about 300 nautical miles from the city of Abidjan. The Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade also said that the vessel was not transmitting on AIS. Vessels in the vicinity were urged to report any sightings of the ship, or any suspicious activity.
MONJASA SPRINTER
The 'Monjasa Sprinter' picked up a distress call from the crew of the hijacked tanker 'Success 9' off the Ivory Coast near Abidjan in the morning of tApril 15, 2023. The Danish ship sounded the alarm, after which a naval vessel freed the crew of the tanker, which was attacked in the evening of April 10 by pirates who switched off the ship's AIS transmitter. Neither the shipping company nor the authorities could then make contact with the ship, and its position was unknown. The 'Monjasa Sprinter' contacted the safety officer at Fortune Ship Management, which operates the 'Success 9', who forwarded the information to the relevant authorities. The Ivory Coastgiard sent a ship out to the hijacked tanker, where the marines freed the 20 crew members safely. The pirates' target has probably been the ship's cargo, which has partially disappeared. At the end of March, another Monjasa tanker, the 'Monjasa Reformer', was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea. The pirates kidnapped six members of the crew who have not yet been found.