French Navy Rescues The Crew Of Hijacked Tanker 'Monjasa Reformer'

French Navy Rescues The Crew Of Hijacked Tanker
MI News Network April 4, 2023 https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/the-french-navy-saves-the-cr...

The French Navy has located the Danish product tanker Monjasa Reformer, which was boarded by pirates over the weekend, taking six of its crew members.

The Atlantic Maritime Prefecture (AMP) reported that Premier Maître L’ Her, their high seas patrol boat, spotted the chemical and oil tanker while assisting in the disembarkation of its ten crew members on Friday.

According to the UK-based ‘Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG), armed individuals boarded the ship last Saturday, approximately 140 nautical miles west of Pointe Noire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Onboard the ship were sixteen crew from various countries. After attempting to locate its last known location, the French Navy’s Premier Maître L’Her launched a search with assistance from MRCC Monrovia and navies from neighbouring regions, with MDAT assistance.

Later that day, it was seen via drone reconnaissance, accompanied by a pirate vessel. The first master received a distress call from VHF16 and discovered that six crew members had been kidnapped.

This resulted in an immediate rescue mission involving the dispatch of a doctor and nurse for medical purposes and an agreement with the owner to sail back to Lomé under the escort of NNS Gongola. It is still unknown where the kidnappers have taken those they have abducted.

Because of France’s ongoing deployment of vessels and maritime patrol aircraft as part of their mission in collaboration with local naval forces, Operation Corymbe has bolstered security efforts in this area.

Reference: The Grio, Freight News