UAE Cargo Vessel Freed By Somali Pirates Off Seychelles (ecoterra)

UAE CARGO VESSEL FREED BY SOMALI PIRATES OFF SEYCHELLES (ecoterra)

ML ARZOO, seized sometime after the UAE-owned, Comoros-flagged launch (IMO Nr.: 1200397) departed from Salalah/Oman on Feb.30, 2010 en route to Mogadishu/Somalia. The vessel – which had run out of fuel, was left without any ransom paid around 70nm outside Victoria. The crew consists of 14 Sailors of Indian nationality, who are all right after the ordeal.

The vessel had originally left Ajam port on Feb. 8 and was headed for Mogadishu with a consignment of cars, food and general goods, but it developed technical problems near Somalia’s coast line of Hobyo. It was then repaired at Salalah port and departed again on Feb.30.

Previous contact with the captain on March 18, 2010 stated the vessel was commandeered by Somali pirates and was floating without fuel, food or freshwater somewhere 250 kilometers off the coast of the Seychelles.
The 9 captors were heavily armed (assault rifles, machine guns, RPGs) and had one skiff.

Contact on March 24, 2010 reported the vessel limping slowly towards Somalia. The navies were made aware, but it was decided to just keep monitoring and a soft approach. Another contact on March 25, 2010 reported the vessel dead in the water just 70 nm off Victori without fuel.

Though the captors had threatened the captain that they would kill the crew and set the vessel on fire, if it runs out of fuel, they realized that they had nowhere to go and called in support from Somalia.

Another vessel MSV VISVKALYAN (VRL), an Indian-flagged illegal charcoal carrying cargo dhow, which had left Kismayo in southern Somalia yesterday, was captured in the Kismayo channel by a related group and then commandeered towards ML ARZOO to relieve the gang from that vessel this morning.

The 9 heavily armed captors on ML ARZOO left the vessel this morning at around 07h30 local time (03h00 UTC).
All crew on board the launch are well, reported the captain and the vessel with its cargo is now getting refuelled and repaired in Victoria to later proceed to its original destination.

The present course or position of the Indian dhow with the fleeing pirates is not known at present.