For security reasons and the investigation, the crew were not permitted to speak to the media and were only allowed limited conversations with a Philippines Embassy official, Roger Gonzales, who told Somalia Report that he was given only 20 minutes to talk with the crew, despite his protests.

Suspicion surrounded the arrival of MV Izumi in the port of Mombasa, Kenya, when the port police arrested three foreign suspects aboard the vessel. They were taken for questioning by the CID prior to being released pending further investigation. 

Reportedly, live and spent ammunition was found on board. The suspects, a Kenyan national and 2 Britons, one a fluent Swahili-speaker, were found aboard the vessel on arrival from Somalia, however, their names were not on the ship's manifest.

The report went on to state that Kenyan police were also investigating the activities of a Mombasa supply tug, Sierra Leone-flagged MT Soland, which had alleged links to the hijacking of MV Izumi, and had been involved in supplying ship stores, fuel and fresh water to ships under pirate control, and delivering ransoms. A Tanzanian master and 6 Somali suspects were arrested last April in Mombasa. Read more in Somalia Report.

The Panama-flagged, MV Izumi was hijacked in the Indian Ocean October 10, 2010 with a crew of 20 Filipinos whilst en route to Mombasa from Japan via Singapore. She was used by the pirates as a mothership to attack merchant shipping. The crew have since flown back to the Philippines with a new crew on board to continue its onward journey.

(All images courtesy of Somalia Report.com)

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