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Ghana’s navy detained suspected pirate ship and arrested crew members on suspicion in the hijacking of an oil products tanker off Gabon 30 days ago. It is disturbing that pirate attacks in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea become more and more frequent destroying the shipping
business in the region.
According to experts pirate gangs are near Nigeria (biggest oil producer) and extending their attacks in the region.
Bandits seized the Maltese-flagged Cotton tanker with its 24-member crew on July 15 near Gabon’s Port Gentil, in the 1st recorded attack in that place for 5 years. The vessel was freed A week later.
Ghana’s deputy Information Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu explained that the ship stopped by Ghana’s navy, the MT Mustard, have been probably used to steal about 3,500 tonnes of fuel from the Cotton.
The vessel later sailed into Ghanaian waters, the first stop was at the eastern port of Tema and take course to an offshore oil facility off the town of Saltpond.
The ship was stopped off the coast of Saltpond and the crew detained for suspicion of piracy by the Ghana Navy.
Ghana’s Bureau of National Investigations started investigations to reveal the crimes of the ship and crew members. The Gulf of Guinea is important region – rich on oil, cocoa and metals for world markets.
The international coalition of navies is not so involved in patrolling the area or organizing counter-piracy missions compared for example with the region of Somalia. Regional countries are trying to take measures to combat the piracy. The problem is that with the time pirates in the region became more dangerous, better armed and more aggressive. Many cases of pirate attacks are not even reported. The pirates are targeting mostly the cargo not the hostages.
