Pirate Attacks Moving to West Africa

As of Sunday, September 12, piracy has seemingly moved directly across the continent with several attacks taking place at Douala Harbor in Cameroon. An armed gang roamed the moorings and attacked two vessels terrorising the crews and robbing them of valuables.

The initial assaults included an attack on a trailing suction hopper dredger, the Amerigo Vespucci, and despite some resistance, seized two crew members, one Filipino, the other Croatian. The Belgian owners of the Luxembourg flagged vessel, the Jan De Nul Group, immediately formed a crisis team which met at midnight at company headquarters to discuss tactics and ensure all the affected families were kept informed. Kidnappers will be likely to be bargaining for ransom from the company to release the crew members

Source: worldmaritimenews.com