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Pirates board containership off Benin, crew held

Pirates are reported to have attacked the containership Tommi Ritscher off Cotonou, Benin holding eight of the crew hostage.

Marcus Hand, Editor

April 20, 2020

1 Min Read
Cotonou Incident
Dryad Global

The Portuguese-flagged boxship was boarded by an unknown number of people from a speedboat at Zone 3 anchorage, Cotonou, according to Dryad Global.

A naval patrol vessel is understood to have approached the Tommi Ritscher after it was boarded and the speedboat fled leaving the pirates onboard. Eight crew are believed to be being held on the vessel while 11 more have sought safety in the citadel, Dryad said.

Crew members are understood to be Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Filipino, and two naval vessels are currently at the scene.

The 2014-built containership is managed Transeste Schiffahrt in Germany, and owned Woollerton Shipping, according to the Equasis database.

About the Author

Marcus Hand

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

See more from Marcus Hand
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