The Norwegian-owned UBT Ocean oil-product tanker, along with its 21-member crew, has been captured by Somali pirates in the waters of the Indian Ocean. The incident took place late last week, and to date the vessel is still believed to be sailing towards Somali waters.
The UBT Ocean sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands, but is owned by Broevigtank in Norway. At the time of its capture, the vessel, whose crew are all of Burmese origin, was transporting oil to Tanzania from the United Arab Emirates. The boarding of the ship took place off the East African coast outside of the Seychelles archipelago, near Madagascar. According to Broevigtank the UBT Ocean had been sailing a course well to the south of the area where Somali pirates are known to operate. Greater naval patrols around the Gulf of Aden are believed to be forcing Somali pirates further south.
Norway Post reveals that no reports have been received of any injury or harm to the crew, and the pirates have not made any ransom claims as yet. Managing Director and CEO of Broevigtank, Svenn Pedersen confirmed that the hijacking took place around 300 miles (500km) from the ship’s intended destination. “The captain made contact saying pirates were on board and then the contact was cut off. Nothing has been heard from the ship since then,” said Pedersen.
Edward Ion, a spokesperson for the 9,000 tonne ship’s technical manager, Singapore-based Ship Management Associates, said attempts to re-establish contact with the UBT Ocean have been unsuccessful.
The chemical tanker Pramoni, which was seized on 1st January by Somali pirates, has been revealed to be owned by a Norwegian shipping group.