Tanker stolen in 16 minutes

2008-11-21 10:54

Paris - Pirates took just 16 minutes from boarding to seizing control of a 100-million-dollar-laden Saudi oil super-tanker in the Indian Ocean, a military report obtained by AFP showed on Thursday.

The report also described the Sirius Star - with woeful defences, restricted manoeuvrability and speed capacities owing to its 319 000-ton oil cargo - as a lumbering prey for two speedboats carrying well-armed pirates also applying the element of surprise by operating well out of their normal range.

The Somali pirates approached the tanker, the length of three football fields, at 06:48 GMT on Saturday and were able to climb aboard using the simplest of rope and hook techniques.

At 07:04 GMT, Britain's Maritime Component Command centre in Bahrain reported that the tanker had been taken by the pirates.

At 15:34 GMT, Britain's Maritime Trade Organisation in Dubai reported that 10 pirates, carrying Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-launchers, were in control of the giant ship.

According to the latter organisation, the first batch of pirates were able to slow the tanker down sufficiently for their colleagues to board easily.

A 25-million-dollar ransom was demanded on Thursday - with a 10-day deadline - by one of the pirates on board in a telephone conversation with AFP, amid calls for tougher action to end threats to one of the world's key maritime routes.

- AFP