Seven Indians, including two from Tamil Nadu and Kerala each, have been kidnapped by pirates off the West African coast after boarding a bitumen vessel 'BITU RIVER' en route to Douala in Cameroon. The Panama-flagged bitumen tanker was operated by Rubis Asphalt which sources bitumen at the refinery and distributes it across West and Central Africa.
The first hint of the kidnap came a week ago when reports emerged that the vessel was boarded by unauthorised people approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Santo Antonio do Príncipe, on the island of Príncipe in the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe off the west coast of Central Africa, according to The Maritime Executive.
According to reports, the Panama-flagged tanker BITU RIVER was boarded by three armed men off the coast of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Africa. The vessel was en route from Lomé to Douala at the time of the attack. Authorities are investigating, with no reported injuries.
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Though it was initially claimed that the "unauthorized persons" had cleared the vessel and that it was proceeding to Libreville in Gabon for refuge, the family members of the sailors claim they received intimation that the vessel remains under captivity.
As per security reports, three persons boarded the vessel and shots were fired. However, the company security officer later claimed the pirates had departed.
However, the wife of one of the captives, a 35-year-old man from Kerala's Kasaragod district, has written to the Shipping Minister of India seeking to ensure efforts for his safe release. Vani, wife of Rajeendran Bhargavan, has claimed that she lost contact with Rajeendran on March 17 and believes the safety and lives are at risk. "We seek the highest level of governmental action to bring them back home safely. I, along with my family, look forward to your urgent response and assistance in this matter,” she wrote in the letter.
The representatives from the company informed Rajeendran’s wife about the abduction on March 18.
Lakshmana Pradeep Murugan, another sailor from Tamil Nadu's Theni, has also alerted the government. Other Indians onboard include Satishkumar Selvaraj from Karur, Sandeepkumar Singh from Bihar and 3 people from Romania.
The West African region has turned into a new stomping ground for pirates in West Africa, according to Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group. He indicates that six vessels have been boarded since January 2024 off Equatorial Guinea and Gabon with 14 crewmembers kidnapped in three pirate attacks.
