Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Accra - The captain of a Greek-operated tanker said Tuesday his vessel had been hijacked by pirates off the Gulf of Guinea, on Africa's west coast, and then released.
The Orfeas, which was carrying 24 crew members, was released Tuesday morning, three days after it went missing.
Grace Management, the tanker's Athens-based operator, did not disclose information on the Orfeas' current whereabouts or who was responsible for its hijacking.
The vessel had been carrying nearly 32 100 metric tons of gasoline to be discharged in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, but instead sailed south without explanation, the company said on Monday.
Pirates in the Gulf of Guinea have traditionally targeted ships carrying lucrative cargo, while East Africa's Somali pirates frequently take hostages for ransom. - Sapa-dpa