Iceberg 1: PMPF retakes ship as pirates flee

In a siege that lasted nearly two weeks, forces of Somalia's semiautonomous Puntland region raided a hijacked ship Sunday and safely rescued 22 hostages who had been held captive for nearly three years, authorities said.

The Puntland government said their forces captured the Panama-flagged MV Iceberg 1, which was docked near the Gara'ad coastal village in Mudung region.

Hassan Abdi, a pirate commander, who was in touch with the ship's hijackers, said eight pirates on board the vessel were able to escape as Puntland soldiers closed in.

"None of us has been harmed," Abdi said. Puntland authorities said they had laid siege to the MV Iceberg 1 on Dec. 10.

[December 12

A  hostage rescue attempt failed of  MV Iceberg 1, being held hostage by Somali pirates for almost 3 years.  
Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) clashed with pirates  attempting to transport weapons and ammunition to the pirates on board the Iceberg 1 vessel, resulting in 3 pirates killed and 3 other pirates captured.

[March 29 2011]








Panama Flagged, Iceberg 1 is a Roll on Roll Off vessel with deadweight of 4500 tonnes. The vessel, with a crew of 24 and carrying a mixed cargo of general mechanical equipment, was bound for Jebel Ali in the UAE when hijacked. The crew consist of persons from Yemen, India, Ghana, Sudan, Pakistan and the Philipines.

Reports have been received by EU NAVFOR that the MV Iceberg 1 has been hijacked 10 nautical miles off the port of Aden, Yemen, outside the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC).
The last contact with the vessel was the master stating to his owner that pirates were onboard. The vessel appears to be heading towards the Somali coast. EU NAVFOR units are monitoring the situation.


Iceberg I (12-2007)
IMO: 7429102
according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence is associated with Azal Shipping & Trading of Dubai.
Azal Contracting & Oil Services Corp. is a private firm with many activities specialized in different field of services and investment . AZAL utilizes both its assets and resources efficiently and takes full and early advantages of technical advances and markets needs. Our philosophy is based on blending individuals to form strategic partnerships with multinational corporations.. The ISO 9002 accreditation is a clear signal to our valued clients that Azal Blue Bell Shipping provides a consistently reliable quality services.

BW Rhine: Sohmen family product tanker released

May 4th, 2012 BW Rhine was released after being held under duress while some of the cargo was being stolen.  The gasoline it was carrying was worth millions of dollars.


[May 2]Hijackers looking for the petroleum product cargo, maybe aviation fuel,  forcibly removed from her safe anchorage position off Lome, Togo BW Rhine, product tanker operated by BW Maritime. The vessel was laden at the time.
Contact was last made with the vessel at 18:30 GMT on 30 April. Ongoing efforts are being made to restore communications.
All possible actions are being taken to track the vessel, and coastal navies have deployed assets to assist the search. The BW Emergency Response Team is continuously monitoring the situation and all relevant parties have been informed. On 2012-03-27  discharged aviation fuel at RPD/Bristol UK.   BW Maritime is part of the BW Group, one of the world’s leading maritime groups in the tanker, gas and offshore segments, operating a fleet of 93 owned, part-owned or controlled vessels. BW Maritime is a leading maritime company with commercial responsibility for a fleet of 30 vessels - 14 Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), and a fleet of 16 LR1 product tankers, controlled by the family of Helmut Sohmen . 



BW Rhine
Ship Type: Oil products tanker
Year Built: 2008
Length x Breadth: 228 m X 33 m
Gross Tonnage: 43797, DeadWeight: 76000 t
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 9.3 / 8.5 knots
Flag: Panama [PA] 
Call Sign: 3EOW2
IMO: 9341940, MMSI: 355797000
Owner: NEWELL COMPANY S.A.
Operator: BW Fleet Management Pte Ltd.
Class Society: Bureau Veritas

Berge Everest: Capesize Bulker arrives in Dalian

BERGE EVEREST
388,133 DWT, Ore Carrier, Built 2011

Owners/Managers are Berge Bulk AS, Built at Bohai Shipbld., Panama Flagged, DNV Classed, Length Overall of 360.97 m., Length Between Perpendiculars of 345.34 m., Draught of 23.00 m., Beam of 65.00 m., Gross Tonnage of 195,199, Wartsila Engine, Speed of 14.80 kts.
Owner/Manager Details

Berge Bulk (Norway) AS
Specialised Details

Strengthened for Ore, Strengthened for Heavy Cargo.
IDENTIFICATION: Launch Name was Berge Everest. Capesize Bulker, Call Sign 3FIE3, IMO Number 9447536. DIMENSIONS/TONNAGES: Moulded Depth of 30.50 m., Tonnage of 66,019 International Net and 382,003 Dwt (long). ENGINE DETAILS: Engine Description 2 S.A. 7-cyl., Engine Model 7RT-flex84T-D.


The first of Vale's (VALE5.SA) giant dry bulk vessels to arrive in China has completed delivery of its iron ore cargo. Vale's ChinaMax from Dalian is heading back to Singapore - presumably for bunkers - then Brazil for the next cargo.

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Arctic Sea: Shelley Express flies Panama flag

Just in time for 2012, Panama flag for Shelley Express


Shelley Express (IMO Number: 8912792)
more

Renuar: Panamax Bulker released

EXCEL MARITIME CARRIERS LTD. owned bulk carrier to Fujairah (UAE) from Port Louis (Mauritius) hijacked 11th December 2010, 550 nautical miles off the coast of India was released April 23.



EXCEL MARITIME CARRIERS LTD.
As of December 31, 2010, Lhada Holdings Inc. owned approximately 17.0% of our outstanding Class A common shares and none of our outstanding Class B common shares, representing approximately 5.5% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock. Lhada Holdings Inc. is owned by a trust, the beneficiaries of which are certain members of the family of the Company's Chairman.

As of December 31, 2010, Tanew Holdings Inc. owned approximately 17.0% of our outstanding Class A common shares and none of our outstanding Class B common shares, representing approximately 5.5% of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock. Tanew Holdings Inc. is owned by a trust, the beneficiaries of which are certain members of the family of the Company's Chairman.

As of December 31, 2010, our chairman, Mr. Gabriel Panayotides, owned approximately 39.0% of our outstanding Class A common shares and approximately 36.4% of our outstanding Class B common shares, representing approximately 37.3% of the total voting power of our capital stock. more

Hanjin Tianjin: Turks scare, pirates abandon ship

Turkish frigate, TCG Giresun, of NATO’s counter-piracy taskforce, just 80 miles away from the container ship at the time of the pirate attack, first arrived at the scene. It provided necessary information to help South Korea’s 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young which arrived at the scene at 4:40 p.m..
Naval commandos of the Cheonghae Unit, a South Korean anti-piracy contingent operating off the Somali coast, boarded the 75,000-ton Hanjin Tianjin and found that all crew members remained unharmed inside the citadel, a bulletproof safety zone in the ship.

The commandos searched the vessel with 14 South Koreans and six Indonesians aboard and found no pirates aboard, officials said.


The Panamanian-registered ship owned by South Korea’s Hanjin Shipping Co. lost contact at around 5:15 a.m. Thursday when it was in waters some 460 miles east of the Somali coast. It was sailing from Spain to Singapore.

The crew members were found in the zone at around 7:30 p.m. and are currently in good health, officials said.

The commandos also discovered three live bullets of AK rifles presumed to be owned by Somali pirates and multiple footprints of bare feet, all of which indicate that pirates attempted to hijack the vessel, officials said.

here
read

YUAN XIANG : Hongyuan geared East of Salalah

YUAN XIANG hijacked 12 Nov 0701 UTC
Posn: 18 02.55N – 066 03.39E (IMB) Around 680nm East of Salalah, Oman (Off Somalia)
IMO:7609192, Flag:Panama, General Cargo Ship
Owner: HONGAN SHIPPING CO LTD, CHINA
Manager: HONGYUAN MARINE CO LTD, CHINA

89 TACNA III - 90 MANCHINCHI BRIDGE - 92 CHELSEA BRIDGE - 95 APACHE BELLE - 96 CHELSEA BRIDGE - 02 DONG HUA MEN



　　Since the foundation of our company, our business has been developing in a great speed. Especially in crew dispatch service, we have achieved a considerable scale. On the basis of our advantageous shipping talents, we managed to extend our business to ship management, providing management service on security system, marine and equipment affairs to ships of domestic and international routes, supplying spare parts, ship stores. Our advantage is the combination of ship management and crew dispatch which ensures our high-level ship management.

　　We are authorized to issue certificate of sea barer and seaman's book. So we can issue the certificate for crew who meets the standards of the marine bureau. We are also endowed with right to sign the contract with domestic and foreign ship owners concerning crew dispatch. We have the management qualification permitted by the Ministry of Communications of PRC, and Tianjin Communication Committee.

Hannibal II: GMT chemtanker hijacked 860 mi. out

MV HANNIBAL II, a Panamanian-flagged chemical tanker , carrying vegetable oils from Pasir Gudang to Suez was hijacked some 860 nautical miles East of The Horn of Africa, closer to India than it is to Somalia.

Ship Name: HANNIBAL II
IMO: 8011756
MMSI: 372907000
Callsign: 3ELB9
Flag: Panama

Category: Tanker
Beam: 25
Length: 172
Draught: 10.5

Hannibal II (Ex: Merit) 24,105 DWT, Chemical & Oil Carrier, Built 1983
Owners/Managers are Gabes Marine Tankers, Built at Ch. Nord et Med, Double Hull, Panama Flagged, BV Classed, Length Overall of 172.18 m., Length Between Perpendiculars of 163.00 m., Draught of 9.75 m., Beam of 24.80 m., 36.00 Tonnes per Centimetre Immersion, Gross Tonnage of 16,284, Sulzer Engine, Speed of 15.00 kts at 35.00 tonnes per day, Heavy Fuel Oil, Horsepower of 12,000B at 122, Bunker Capacity of 2,761 tonnes.

Gabes Marine Tankers Sarl

Gabes Marine Tankers Sarl (hereafter referred to as GMT) is a Tunisian private limited company


GABES MARINE TANKERS SARL as ship-manager fronts for the owner POLO NAVIGATION LTD - both of Ez Zahra, Tunisia.

Armatore Polo navigation Ltd -Ez Zahra Tunisia
Ship manager GABES MARINE TANKERS

Polar: now at Hobyo

The pirated Panama-flagged MV POLAR has now arrived off the coast of Somalia and is anchored in the vicinity of Hobyo. earlier

Polar: Tsakiris tanker hijacked off Socotra

MV POLAR was attacked during the the morning of 30 October 2010, approximately 580 nautical miles (almost 1,100 km) East from Socotra island in the Somali Basin. The owner confirmed this morning
Paradise Navigation S.A. is a Panamanian registered company, established in Greece under law 89

Constantinos Tsakiris is the Chairmman and Managing Director of Paradise Navigation SA, a shipping management company established in Greece and founded back in 1968, as Navipower Compania Naviera SA, by the Tsakiris family, a traditional Greek ship-owning and operating family.

Ship Name: POLAR
IMO: 9299563
MMSI: 371078000
Callsign: 3EBD9
Flag: Panama

Category: Tanker
Beam: 32
Length: 229
Draught: 11


Paradise Navigation SA, Managers of the “MT Polar”, regret to confirm that at 01:40 UTC on 30 October, about 600 NM east of Socotra island, off Somalia, their vessel came under attack by 2 skiffs and that armed pirates boarded their vessel. There is no further information for the moment. Twenty four crew members are on board, comprising 3 Greek nationals, 3 Montenegrin, 1 Serbian, 1 Romanian and 16 Filipinos.

At the time of the attack the Panama flag oil products tanker “Polar” with dwt 72,825, was en route from St. Petersburg and Kronshtadt to Singapore with a cargo of fuel oil. All the appropriate authorities have been contacted immediately and made aware of the situation, including the Flag State, the counter piracy coordination force EU NAVFOR and the crew manning agencies of the seafarers involved.

The whole focus of Paradise Navigation is to ensure the safety, well being and early release of the seafarers on board the tanker, while keeping their families -and the crew manning agents- fully advised of the situation and any developments, understanding fully the great concern they must have at this time for their loved ones.

Paradise Navigation receives the support of all the necessary advisors in dealing with this hijack and will not be providing any operational details that might endanger the lives of its crew, nor encourage further criminal attacks of this kind. The company asks that commentators on this event accept and understand this position.

Lugela: pirates abandon, crew retakes ship

Crew of a Greek ship which was hijacked deep in the Indian Ocean on Saturday are once again in control of the vessel.

The circumstances of the retaking of the 4,281-dwt Lugela (built 1984)remain a mystery, however, but engine failure is said to have played a part.The ship's all-Ukrainian crew are safe.
The Greek operator received a call from the master of the Panama-flagged ship Sep. 26 to say that the crew was back in control of the vessel.

Lugela IMO: 8410380 (Ex: Thor Sofia) 4,145 DWT, Multi-Purpose, Built 1984
Owners/Managers are TDM Carriers, Panama Flagged.

Iceberg 1: hijackers threaten crew

By mobile phone a crew member said the pirates are threatening to harm them. The pirates say their ransom is ten million dollars but from our point of view even if we give them 400,000 dollars they will take”. read earlier
199 7429102 ICEBERG I 3EBE2 Ro-Ro 3960 1976 Panama

QSM Dubai: hijacked in view of USS Cole

Panama flagged QSM Dubai, 15,220 DWT, inbound from Brazil was hijacked in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor.

QSM DUBAI IMO: 7610062
ex Empros,Tania (7/2006)


Qawareb Ship Management LLC, hereafter referred to as QSM, is a private company that was registered in Dubai, Qawareb Ship Management LLC Part of Lebanese Shipping Group established in 1902. Khaled Jamil General Manager Qawareb Ship Management LLC United Arab Emirates
A renowned and profitable freight management company, Qawareb Ship Management LLC is a prominent logistics and freight forwarding organization specializing in serving an international range of diverse clients with a need in the logistics industry. Operating in the industry since its inception 17 years ago, the Company is an independent, family-owned business from Lebanon. Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Qawareb Ship Management LLC owns and manages four, 65,000 ton bulk carriers and large general cargo ships. Providing logistic services and travel to Qatar, the Company is also under contract to international clients in South America, Africa and Europe, and provides its customers the opportunity to manage and transport their products, equipment and freight in a timely and cost efficient manner. At the current time, the Company completes all logistical management activities and functions successfully by applying the extensive skills and talents of about 55 dedicated professionals who devote their full time to Qawareb Ship Management LLC. Reputable and well-established in the marketplace, the Company experiences an annual turnover in excess of AED 6 million. Providing executive leadership and guidance and support, Mr. Jamil serves in the position of General Manager of Qawareb Ship Management LLC. A third generation professional in the freight forwarding industry, he is credited with establishing and developing the Company into what it is today - profitable and respected across industries. Furnishing the vision and motivation behind the Company's success, Mr. Jamil is an experienced business development leader with a proven track record of taking advantage of all new opportunities and pushing the envelope. Capitalizing upon more than two decades of extensive practical experience, qualifications and an astute grasp of the industry, he manages day-to-day operations and administration of all corporate resources, processes and procedural protocols.

In the early hours of 2 June it was reported by the owner of the MV QSM Dubai that a group of armed pirates had boarded the ship and taken control. USS COLE from CTF 508 (NATO) first reported that they had seen a person with an RPG on board. A coalition Maritime Patrol Aircraft was tasked to investigate the situation and reported that the ship was hijacked.

Island of Luck: crew released in Congo

The court of Kinshasa in the Congo has acquitted seven Ukrainians and one Russian detained as part of an investigation into a murder, the Ukrainian foreign minister.

The Panama-flagged Victoria Oceanway LTD Island of Luck cargo vessel, with a 23-member crew from Aina Treding Ltd, including 15 Ukrainians and four Russians, was detained on October 20 in Matadi, the main port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Seven Ukrainians and one Russian were arrested and police accused three Ukrainians of murdering a local resident and beating several others.

"In the presence of the Ukrainian ambassador the court ruled to acquit seven Ukrainian nationals and one Russian," Petro Poroshenko told journalists.

He said the sailors will be brought to the Russian diplomatic mission and then flown to Paris, adding that Ukraine has no embassy in the Congo, but that they will be accompanied by Ukraine's ambassador in Gabon until departure. The sailors are expected at home on Monday.

Poroshenko quoted the ship captain as saying the health of the sailors is good.

The Island of Luck vessel brought 12 metric tons of rice worth $12,000 to Matadi on October 4. When preparing to release the ship from port, Congolese officials found three locals in the water near the vessel. The suspected illegal migrants were allegedly beaten by the crew and thrown overboard. A fourth reportedly drowned.

However, no traces of violence were found on three of the Congolese men, while the body of the fourth was buried without an autopsy on October 22.


The Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website on November 03, 2009 that "the Russian Embassy in Kinshasa [the Congolese capital] is keeping the situation under control."

A Russian embassy source [then] told RIA Novosti that no official charges had yet been brought against the crew and the Ukrainian members of the crew were the chief suspects.

...meanwhile the vessel was reported on January 22, 2010 at São Paulo, Brazil

ISLAND OF LUCK - 24°17'47" S 44°56'55" W - GG75MQ68DU
Source callsign: 3FDT7
MMSI number: 355064000
IMO number: 850857700
Navigational status: Under way (engine) (0)
Vessel class: Cargo (70)
Destination: TEMA (ETA 20090918160000) Ghana
Location: 24°17'47" S 44°56'55" W - locator GG75MQ68DU - show map - static map
44.1 miles Southeast bearing 144° from Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil