Norwegian Owned Chemical Tanker Reported Hijacked

March 6, 2010, Published by EU NAVFOR Public Affairs Office

A Marshall Island flagged chemical tanker, UBT Ocean, is reported to have been hijacked on Friday morning 300 nautical miles from Dar El Salam.

The Norwegian owned UBT Ocean was not registered on MSCHOA. UBT Ocean has a crew of 21 and they are all from Myanmar/Burma.

UBT Ocean with deadweight of 9,380 tones was heading from United Arab Emirates to Dar El Salam when, yesterday morning, contact with the ship was lost.EU NAVFOR is monitoring the situation.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia

European Union Naval Force Somalia