Four seafarers snatched in Cameroon pirate attack ⁰

Four crew members have been seized by pirates following an attack on the Contship Oak containership off the coast of Cameron in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to Maritime Bulletin, the vessel was at anchorage when pirates boarded it and kidnapped the crewmembers.

The 1,118 TEU vessel, owned by carrier Contship, then continued to the Port of Douala, Cameron, where as of April 2 it remains docked.

According to reports, the attack took place on March 30, 2019, just days after US-organised anti-piracy drills had taken place in the region.  

The Obangame Express 2019 took place on March 22, 2019, and saw 2500 naval service members, 95 vessels and 12 aircraft prepare for acts of piracy.

Several NATO members also participated, as did the US Coast Guard cutter Thetis. The exercises come after several attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, which has deteriorated into the world’s most dangerous area for commercial shipping.

According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), the region suffered 201 attacks in 2018, an increase from the 180 that occurred in 2017.

The most high-profile act of piracy took place in January 2019, as the MSC Mandy was attacked 55 nautical miles off the coast of Benin, a story PTI reported on.

Source: Porttechnology.org