3 Crew Kidnapped from "Disappeared" Ship
THE EQUATORIAL Guinea-flagged cargo ship, San Miguel, owned by the company Martinez Hermanos, had been hijacked by pirates who still retain three kidnapped crew, states Equatorial Guinea's Press and Information Office.
OCEANUSLive received a pirate incident report early Wednesday [8 Jan] morning of an unconfirmed hijack having taken place off Equatorial Guinea. Following extensive research and cooperation with various authorities and sources, the report was proved accurate in many aspects, however official confirmation was received later that day, five days after the hijack occurred, stating the following:
The cargo ship San Miguel, owned by the company Martinez Hermanos, departed from the port of Malabo on January 2, bound for the city of Bata. However, the ship disappeared on its journey. After several days missing, it has returned to the port of Malabo, where the crew members have reported their adventure.
According to declarations, the San Miguel was assaulted by a group of pirates at ten o'clock in the morning of January 3, just twenty miles from the port of Bata, with a total of nine workers on board.
After the kidnapping, the pirates searched the ship for money, but not having found the desired booty, they steered course towards Kribi (Cameroon); they confiscated the phones and destroyed the navigation system to avoid being spotted by the marine security services.
At half past five in the morning on Sunday, January 5, the ship was released with most of its crew. However, the band of pirates retained three of them, specifically the captain Kanishk Jhorar, the mechanic and the welder. For their release, a reward from Martinez Hermanos is being demanded.
The remaining crew gave a statement to the local press following their return to Malabo.
Original Source: Equatorial Guinea's Press and Information Office
Origianl ReportText and photos: Clemente Ela Ondo Onguene (D. G. Base Internet)
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