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| Africa Horn |
| Iran-bound Brazilian sugar ship hijacked off India |
| 2012-03-27 |
| DUBAI: An Iranian bulk carrier of Brazilian sugar was hijacked in the eastern Indian Ocean early on Monday with 23 crew on board, international shipping monitors said. The Eglantine, which according to Reuters shipping data loaded in Rio de Janeiro in late February, was hijacked off India's southwest coast by suspected Somali pirates, NATO's counter-piracy mission said. Attacks as far away from Somalia as Monday's hijacking are rare. Although NATO, EU and Iranian naval forces are trying to protect merchant shipping, the Indian Ocean is too big for them to effectively patrol all of it. The U.S. has identified the vessel as being operated by Iranian government shipping companies blacklisted by Washington. The vessel was carrying over 63,000 tonnes of cargo when it left Brazil, the world's biggest sugar exporter, according to shipping data. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #10 Iranian boat hijacked, nobody around to help? SWEEE-EEE-T! |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2012-03-27 21:48 |
| #9 The use of Mother ships (also hijacked)and the expansion of organized crime (and their ability to organize - hence their name)has meant a massive expansion of the area of ops for the pirates. The last pirates taken by the US (remember the thankful Iranians) have now been handed over to the Seychelles for trial. Interesting the two countries with the largest jurisdictional interest (Iran due to the victims) and USA (due to conrol of the captured pirates)couldn t seem to sort it out who gets to try these block heads. I am sure the Seychelles are getting some money for their effort. The Iranian "sugar boat" makes for some new twists. The money is in the possible ransom for the crew, not for the goods. Not sure Iran is in the ransom game. So poor move for the Pirates. As a blacklisted ship not to many countries will want to touch this one - opps another poor move for the pirates. There is also the possiblity of fuel issues if one wants to steam this sugar boat back to Somalia. Opps again. This ship just might end up being sunk "as a warning" to others. |
| Posted by: Northern Cousin 2012-03-27 20:53 |
| #8 It was hijacked in Maldives waters. Maybe they have a base there. Quite a few remote atolls. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2012-03-27 17:59 |
| #7 MORE SUGAR! -- Firesign Theatre |
| Posted by: mojo 2012-03-27 12:25 |
| #6 What? Is somebody trying to imply that it wasn't Somalians? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2012-03-27 11:38 |
| #5 Where's it going to? North Korea!? |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2012-03-27 09:56 |
| #4 I figure they just had a lot of coffee that neededd sweetening. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2012-03-27 09:28 |
| #3 Unless it wasn't just sugar, phil_b. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-03-27 05:06 |
| #2 Are the Somalia pirates franchising? This is a long way from Somalia. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2012-03-27 02:38 |
| #1 Uh, uh, EEEEEEEEKKKKK - THEM! TTTTHHHEEEMMMM! The classic Movie. gut nuthin. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-03-27 00:23 |