The 2013-built 27,000 dwt multipurpose cargo vessel Kota Budi has been boarded by armed pirates offshore Cotonou of Benin in West Africa.
has been boarded by armed pirates offshore Cotonou of Benin in West Africa.Maritime security consultancy Dryad Global reported five crewmembers, all Chinese nationals, have been kidnapped from the vessel operated by Singapore’s Pacific International Lines.
According to Dryad Global, the attack is the seventh incident in the waters off Benin this year. The incident has brought the total number of kidnapped personnel in maritime incidents off West Africa in 2020 to 80. Incidents of kidnapping are currently tracking at 26% higher in 2020 than in 2019.
The incident occurred a day after BW Offshore announced that pirates attacked its FPSO Sendje Berge offshore Nigeria, kidnapping nine Nigerians.
This does not mean that Cotonou port has not one approved and ambitious IMO-security plan.