A commercial oil/chemical tanker underway off Ivory Coast was targeted by a pirate attack on Monday, April 10, security consultancy Praesidium International has confirmed.
The Singapore-flagged Success 9 was underway approximately 300 nautical miles south of Abidjan when it was boarded by an unknown number of perpetrators at around 14:00 local time on Monday.
The ship was proceeding north-east, likely repositioning itself, when its speed started dropping at around 06:00. It then started drifting and was heading north-west when the AIS transmission was lost at 14:25, possibly indicating the time the perpetrators took control of the vessel.
Praesidium said the tanker had been sailing regularly in this area and was most probably involved in bunkering operations.
This latest incident follows a series of attacks that have targeted smaller tankers trading locally in West Africa and is likely aimed at oil theft.
Praesidium said that the incident is still ongoing. All ships sailing in the area have been advised to increase vigilance over the next 24 to 48 hours.
