Reprinted from Caribbean Net News

Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com
Diplomats work to free crew of hijacked Antiuga-Barbuda vessel
Published on Monday, June 2, 2008

ST JOHN’S, Antigua: Antigua and Barbuda diplomats along with international agencies are currently pursuing diplomatic means to free the crew of the Antigua and Barbuda flagged vessel, AMIYA SCAN that was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia last week.

On the afternoon of Sunday 25 May 2008, the Maritime Administration of Antigua and Barbuda, was advised that the Antigua and Barbuda flagged dry cargo vessel motor vessel “AMIYA SCAN”, had been attacked and captured by pirates whilst the vessel was proceeding from the port of Mombasa, Kenya, to the port of Constanza, Romania, with nine crewmembers aboard and a full cargo of a knocked-down drilling rig.

When the vessel was seized, it was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden North of the coast of Somalia.

Since then, the Maritime Administration of Antigua and Barbuda have been in close and continuous contact with the vessel’s Management Company in The Netherlands to monitor the situation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St John’s, Antigua, the Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations and the Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have also been fully informed.

Further, on Monday 26 May 2008, the Maritime Administration was advised that the vessel’s Management Company has been briefly in contact with the pirates and it had been ascertained that the crew consisting of four Russian and five Philippines nationals were all safe. The ship’s owners stressed that the first and foremost priority was the safety and security of the crew members.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with Permanent Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization and the United Kingdom MTO (Maritime Trade Operations) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates are presently spearheading and coordinating diplomatic and maritime efforts in resolving this incident without conflict, injury or loss of life.


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