Discover the Louiza: Ratings & Maritime News

The tanker "Mattheos I" was freed from captivity on September 24, 2011, after a harrowing ordeal. Fortunately, the vessel's crew, consisting of 23 members, including five Spaniards, two Ukrainians, and 16 Filipinos, emerged unharmed. In a distressing turn of events, however, the ship's fuel cargo had been partially siphoned off before its release. Remarkably, no ransom was paid during the incident. The tanker was located off the coast of Nigeria at the time of its liberation, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by maritime operations in the region.

On September 16, 2011, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the safety of the 23-member crew aboard the 'Mattheos 1,' which had fallen victim to piracy. The crew comprises 14 Filipinos, five Spaniards, and two Ukrainians. The ship's recruitment agency has assured that all crew members are unharmed, and their families have been notified of the hijacking. Meanwhile, the ship's Spanish owners voiced concerns on September 15 about their complete lack of communication since the vessel was seized just one day prior while it was situated approximately 62 nautical miles from Cotonou, the capital of Benin. They expressed hopes that the pirates' primary intention was to steal the crude oil cargo rather than demand a ransom for the crew's release.

On September 14, 2011, the waters off the coast of Benin experienced a dramatic piracy attack when m/t Mattheos I, an oil-laden tanker, was seized during cargo transfer operations to a Norwegian-flagged ship. In a customary move, the International Maritime Bureau withheld the names and specific details of the involved vessels, leaving the public largely unaware of the situation. However, clarity emerged when Serghios Serghiou, the director of Cyprus's Department of Merchant Shipping, disclosed that the ship in question was indeed the Mattheos I. This vessel had a diverse crew of 23 personnel, comprising Filipino ratings along with Spanish, Peruvian, and Ukrainian officers. While the pirates successfully boarded Mattheos I, the crew of the second vessel took evasive actions by securing themselves in the engine room, prompting the attackers to abandon their efforts on that ship. Notably, piracy in the Benin and Nigerian regions is characterized by relatively short capture durations, typically lasting between one to three days. Unlike their Somali counterparts, who often hold vessels hostage for extended periods, these pirates usually release ships swiftly, often after taking a few crew members as hostages for ransom negotiations.