The operator of a tanker which went missing off Angola 10 days ago has announced that the ship has been found, but contradicted an Angolan navy claim that an alleged pirate attack on the ship had been faked.
Dynacom Tankers said today that it had succeeded in re-establishing contact with the 42,331 gt MT Kerala yesterday following its disappearance off Luanda on 18 January.
It said that all crew members were alive and accounted for but that a large amount of the vessel's cargo had been stolen.
It added that one crew member had been wounded and that all had been clearly affected by their ordeal.
It gave no further details of the alleged attack but said that it had been working with numerous intelligence agencies to find the Liberian flagged vessel, thanking them and the regional and international navies which had provided assistance.
"Representatives of international law enforcement and intelligence agencies that are experienced in dealing with piracy incidents will be attending on board to gather intelligence and forensic evidence from the vessel and crew in order to try to bring to justice those that perpetrated this crime on our vessel and our people," it said.
On Sunday, however, Reuters reported Angolan navy spokesman Captain Augusto Alfredo as saying that the vessel had been found in Nigeria and that reports of a hijacking were false.
"It was all faked," he told the news agency. "There have been no acts of piracy in Angolan waters. What happened on January 18 when we lost contact with the ship was that the crew disabled the communications on purpose."
He gave no further details except to indicate that the vessel had been taken into Nigerian waters by a tug, which was a replica of one used in a pirate attack off Gabon last year.
Marine intelligence gather Dryad Maritime said last week that it had warned of the presence of a suspect tug close to the position of the MT Kerala on 17 January.
Source IHS
Topic: Angola pirated tanker now free (Read 1121 times)