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Union Maritime tanker and 22 crew released by pirates
UK-based Union Maritime has confirmed that its 2005-built oil products tanker
Barrett, which went missing last Tuesday off Benin, has been released by pirates.
All 22 crew members from the vessel are safely back in Lagos, Nigeria where they were met by senior representatives of Union Maritime and the technical managers of the vessel.
The exact nature of the incident and how it was resolved were not revealed, only that the pirates made contact with the company on Friday three days after its disappearance and that the vessel was released Tuesday.
“We are focused now on supporting the crew and their families,” the company said.
AIS data from MarineTraffic shows the vessel is now anchored off Lagos and scheduled to depart for Cotonou, Benin where the vessel was located when it disappeared.