UAE-Tanzania bound oil tanker seized by pirates | India Gazette

UAE-Tanzania bound oil tanker seized by pirates

India Gazette Saturday 6th March, 2010

An oil tanker has been seized by Somali pirates off the coast of Madagascar in concerning signs that they are expanding their operations further into the Indian Ocean despite efforts by an international naval force patrolling the area.

The UBT Ocean was transporting oil from the United Arab Emirates to Tanzania, according to Svenn Pedersen who spoke to Reuters on behalf of the owners. He said the owners had received a call from the Captain informing them that they had been boarded by pirates.

“Very quickly afterwards we lost all contact with the boat,” he said to the AFP news agency.

The waters around the Horn of Africa have become notoriously dangerous as pirates operating out of the collapsed state of Somalia make a lucrative living capturing, ransoming and releasing commercial and private vessels.

The capture of the UBT Ocean comes just two days after a Saudi oil tanker was boarded and commandeered by pirates who sailed the ship, along with her crew, to the Somali port of Garacad.