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Post by ferryfast admin on Mar 30, 2005 23:32:10 GMT -5
Norwegian ships attacked by pirates www.aftenposten.no/english/Seven Norwegian vessels were attacked by pirates last year, with Indonesian waters being the riskiest on the seven seas. Small bands of pirates dared to take on large vessels, and attacks and attempts to board were recorded on seven Norwegian ships, as well as a range of foreign ships with part Norwegian ownership, newspaper VG reports. The 48,000-ton "Syrena" was stormed by seven pirates armed with jungle machetes, who made off with valuables and supplies after threatening three crew members. The Syrena was boarded at night, when the ship anchored in Kalimantan in Indonesia. Ugland Shipping's 38,000-ton "Jorita" was attacked in the Gelasa Straits. Six masked and heavily armed buccaneers drew up alongside the vessel in a small speed boat, fired on the bridge and ordered the ship to halt, but were frustrated after the captain sounded the alarm, turned floodlights on them, and took evasive action. Indonesian waters saw 93 of 325 acts of registered piracy last year, with Nigerian waters a distant second with 37 attacks. The International Maritime Bureau believes the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia was directly responsible for a lull in piracy in that region at the end of 2004. Attacks dropped to zero in the wake of the earthquake but began again in early March. (Aftenposten English Web Desk)
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