Somali marauders operating in the increasingly dangerous waters off East Africa seized a crude oil tanker making a delivery from Saudi Arabia to the United States
The Maran Centaurus was hijacked several hundreds miles off the coast of Somalia on Sunday. The ship originated in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia destine for an oil delivery in the United States.
The ship’s 28 member crew were taken captive by the Somali pirates according to the US Defense Department.
The shipping company’s contracted intelligence firm — Lloyd’s List – noted in a statement that the Maran Centaurus is a “very large crude carrier, with a capacity of over 300,000 tons.”
Pirates have increased attacks on vessels off East Africa for the millions of dollars in ransom money. While pirates have successfully hijacked dozens of vessels over the last several years, this attack is believed to be only the second ever on an oil tanker.
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