Dutch shipping company De Poli said conditions are working fine for the fifteen crew of the oil tanker David B., who were hijacked off the coast of Benin in West Africa on March 11th. According to a spokesperson, all of the kidnapped crew members were in contact. It is not clear where they are being held.
The shipping company has also contacted the kidnappers, but the spokesperson does not want to say anything about their demands. “A dialogue has started, but we will not announce the details,” he added. He says the crisis team is working hard to get crew members home safely and their family members are being supported.
Six crew members were not kidnapped and escorted the oil tanker to a safer area. The pirates left the shipment untouched.
According to the spokesman, kidnappings and kidnappings are more common in these waters. “There is a pattern of security incidents in this region.” He doesn’t want to say anything about the security at Davide B, only “visible and invisible actions” have been taken.
The ship flying the Maltese flag was en route from Riga, the capital of Latvia, to Lagos, Nigeria. There are no Dutch among the crew, but Filipinos and Russians.
