|
Dubai: Local authorities in Somalia and the US Navy are tracking the Dubai-based cargo ship being held by hijackers, according to a consultant for the ship's owner.
Six gunmen travelling by dhow boarded the 80-metre MV Veesham-I last Wednesday and later demanded a $1 million ransom, according to Abbas Ahmad, the manager of Trans Sea Marine Consultants, which is working with Dubai-based Veesham Shipping, which owns the vessel.
Ahmad said Somali patrol boats and the US Navy have tracked the Veesham-I to a location 20 miles off the Somalian port of Obbia.
Veesham Shipping is hoping for a resolution without any ransom payment.
Earlier, Dubai-based Bahaya Trading, a charter company that organised the voyage, negotiated the ransom down to $150,000.
The shipping company said Somali authorities are waiting to ensure the safety of the 14 crew members - who are from Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India - before boarding the distressed vessel.
"We understand the ship is surrounded by Islamic Courts men and they are waiting for a suitable time before boarding the ship," said Ahmad. "We are very worried about crew right now. Until now, they have been dealing with crew very well."
The attack raised new fears of lawlessness off the East African coast and punctuated several months of relative calm, following promises by Islamic Courts to stamp out maritime piracy.
In 2005, the International Maritime Bureau considered Somalia's coast and waters the most dangerous as regards piracy in the world and advised merchant ships to stay at least 200 nautical miles from the coast.
On November 1, the Veesham-I loaded 86.5 tons of charcoal at the Somali port of Al Maan and set sail for Salalah, Oman, according to Ahmad. After staying the night in Oman, the 25-year-old cargo ship was to continue on to Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Six and a half hours into the journey, the company radioed the ship and learned that armed attackers had stormed aboard and taken control.
The hijackers directed the ship's captain to change course for the Somali port of Obbia. After that, the ship's crew stopped responding to calls from Veesham's operations centre.
For two days the captain of the Veesham-I used a satellite telephone to report the progress of the ship, as it stayed within six to eight miles of the coast.
- With inputs from Zoi Constantine
|
