EMEA News
Pirates Said to be Responsible for Missing Oil Tanker
A Liberia-flagged oil tanker that last week went missing off the coast of Ghana was likely to have been attacked by pirates, Reuters reports.
The MT Fair Artemis communicated with its manager, Fairdeal Group S.A., on June 4, but failed to make contact the next day.
A senior port official says the ship's captain sent a distress call saying the vessel was attacked by pirates.
"We had a distress call from the master of the ship [on Friday] saying he was 36 nautical miles away from our waters after he was hijacked and looted in Togolese waters early Wednesday," he said.
"Our primary concern ... is for the safety of those on board the vessel," Fairdeal fleet director John Gray in a statement.
"We would like to assure their families and all stakeholders that we are fully committed to returning the crew and vessel to a safe port."
A number of pirate attacks have been reported in West Africa this year, typically targeting oil cargoes that can be sold on the black market.
