Another Freighter Seized By Pirates Off Tanzanian Coast

Pirates continue to attack ships, this time off the Tasmanian coast. According to the article below, this attack follows three previous attacks this week on freight vessels off the Tanzanian coastline. There are no reports of any contact with the vessel since she altered course early this afternoon. With the seasonal increase in pirate raids, vessel owners and operators are warned by the authorities to be extra vigilant and take all possible precautions against attack. I hope they're OK
   . . . June


-----------------
Pirates Seize Another Freighter Off Somalia
Latest industry shipping news from the Handy Shipping Guide:

SOMALIA – In yet another pirate attack, the most southerly reported this year so far in the region, a UAE owned tanker was seized around 100 miles South of Dar es Salaam after unloading its cargo of bitumen at Mombasa in Kenya. The attack follows three previous attacks this week on freight vessels off the Tanzanian coastline.

The vessel was once again Panamanian flagged and was manned by an all Indian crew of 15 according to local reports. We have had no word so far from the vessels owners Bitumen Invest. The ship is the MT Asphalt Venture an asphalt carrier en route to Durban when radar observation showed her turn suddenly and set a course for Xaradheere, about 300 miles north of Mogadishu on the Somali coast.

We have no reports of any contact with the vessel at this time since she altered course early this afternoon. With the seasonal increase in pirate raids, vessel owners and operators are warned by the authorities to be extra vigilant and take all possible precautions against attack.

Read entire article

------------------------