ID :
30599
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 10:06
Auther :

Japanese-managed freighter hijacked off Somalia

TOKYO, Nov. 16 Kyodo - A Panama-flagged freighter managed by a Japanese company with 23 crew members
aboard was hijacked off Somalia on Saturday by suspected pirates, the Japanese
company said Sunday.

Iino Marine Service Co., the Tokyo-based company that manages the vessel, told
Kyodo News that no Japanese were on board.
According to the South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry, five South
Koreans and 18 Filipinos were aboard the vessel, identified as the 20,000-ton
Chemstar Venus.
The freighter was hijacked Saturday night in waters more than 100 kilometers
east of Aden in Yemen, Iino Marine Service said, adding none of the crewmembers
was injured.
The Japanese firm said it was notified of the hijacking by a British entity in
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The freighter was en route to Europe from
Indonesia carrying vegetable oil, the firm added.
The Chemstar Venus, a chemical tanker, is listed on the Iino Marine Service
website among around 60 vessels of diverse types managed by the company, which
specializes in the recruitment and training of foreign seafarers.
==Kyodo

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