Bermuda-flagged oil/chemical tanker Stena Important, operated by Concordia Maritime, was approached by a suspicious vessel at Doula Anchorage, Cameroon on March 19, 2020 in what has been recorded as an attempted pirate attack.
“The alarm was raised by the Officer of the Watch (OOW) and the crew mustered to their respective stations.
”Following a failed attempt to board via ladder, the suspicious vessel and its crew departed the scene after a few minutes.
“All relevant authorities and parties were notified, and a careful review will be done to assess if any further security measurements are deemed necessary in order to safely complete the current voyage,” Concordia Maritime said in a statement.
The ship, after fending off the attack, successfully sailed to anchorage in Lagos, Nigeria.
According to a report from a West Africa-based consultancy firm Praesidium International, there were eight perpetrators who tried to board the vessel twice.
The onboard security team reportedly engaged the perpetrators before they aborted action. The crew and security team are reported to be safe.