Latest breaking update:VLCC MARAN CENTAURUS
Reportedly the ransom delivery for VLCC MARAN CENTAURUS took place after the incident and the aircraft returned to drop the huge ransom at 16h45 local time (13h45 UTC). The problem is now that the pirates on the vessel will not be able to return to the shore, because of the infighting. At present there is a stand-off and nobody can predict how the release will develop.
RANSOM DELIVERY FOR SUPERTANKER FAILED (ecoterra)
Not yet officially confirmed reports from our maritime observers on the ground in Somalia say that the delivery of a huge, record-breaking ransom to the oil supertanker VLCC MARAN CENTAURUS failed.
While the delivery had earlier been scheduled for tomorrow, a change of plans launched it for today. But just before the estimated time of the air drop of the money four speedboats manned by a rival pirate militia from the central Somali coast tried to position themselves close to the tanker with the plan to snatch the ransom. Though a reuters report speaks of rival pirates from Puntland, local observers identified the attackers as HabrGedir Saleban, who hail from the same area of those who are presently holding the oil tanker.
Reportedly three helicopters from a nearby warship launched a counter-attack and fired upon the attacking speedboats whereby one of the boat drivers got injured. It is for sure a novum that naval helicopters interfere in the pirate quarrels among themselves, but certainly in this case it was warranted and highly necessary in order to avert an environmental disaster of extreme magnitude, which would be caused if the tanker would be hit and set on fire.
ECOTERRA Intl. had warned already in November of the serious danger the highjacked tanker poses to the marine and coastal ecosystems of the entire Indian Ocean coast of the Horn of Africa.
Since several days reports had transpired, which said the pirate groups were up in arms against each other concerning the sharing of the expected extraordinarily high ransom and it is certainly not safe to deliver a ransom unless a plan agreed by all sides is in place and a rear-guard is set up.
The helicopters managed to drive the rival group in their boats back to the shore and the delivery was called off.
VLCC MARAN CENTAURUS was seized on Nov. 29, 2009 near the Seychelles while sailing from Kuwait to the Gulf of Mexico. The tanker has a crew of 16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and one Romanian on board and is carrying around two million barrels of crude oil.
Already during the release of the last very large crude carrier, the VLCC SIRIUS STAR the delivery operation saw the death of six Somalis in a confused operation, which nearly caused that vessel not to be released.
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ECOTERRA - SMCM Piracy Reports in full
