GPHA Rescues 3 Pirated Ships

Three vessels attacked by pirates two weeks ago in Togo�s waters have been rescued by the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority and docked at the Tema Port. The vessels, �MT Artemis,� �Sam Pitiki� and �Marine 711� were attacked on different occasions between June 4 and 11. Throwing more light on the attacks and rescue of the three vessels, the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, Mr. Richard A.Y. Anamoo, said �MT Artemis,� a Liberian flagged oil tanker, after receiving oil supply of 3,500 tons from another vessel at the Tema port bunkering zone (anchorage), drifted off the cost of Ghana to 53 nautical miles into Togolese waters where it was attacked by the pirates. They escorted the ship to Nigerian waters where they discharged the fuel into another vessel before escorting it back into Togolese waters and was finally rescued and sent back to the Ghanaian waters and anchored at the Tema port. Mr. Anamoo said information received indicated that the vessel into which the fuel was siphoned was spotted in Benin trying to sell the booty, and the Beninoise navy was alerted to take action. The Director-General said the second case involved a Ghanaian registered tuna vessel, fishing off the coast of Togo and attacked by pirates. According to Mr. Anamoo, the pirates after siphoning 50 tons of oil and stealing 10 tons of tuna cage, released the vessel which had since arrived at the Tema port. He said the third case involved a South African oil tanker, �Sam Patiki,� which was sailing from Nigerian to load oil from Togo, and was attacked by pirates in Togolese waters. Mr. Anamoo said the vessel was revealed by the pirates after days when they realize that there was no cargo on board. He said although none of those three incidents reports had confused the issues, hence the need to correct the wrong impressions. Mr. Anamoo assured members of the shipping industry of their safety in doing business with Ghana. He said �The continuous monitoring of our coastal waters, the anchorage and the presence of the Ghana Navy and Ghana Police Service has ensured safety and the security of maritime trade.� Mr. Anamoo, therefore, urged all shipping lines doing or planning to do business with Ghana to go about their endeavors without fear or any intimidation, as adequate security measures had been instituted to ensure their safety. He said �Security measures such as the automatic identification system installed at the ports to locate and identify all vessels within Ghana�s waters especially, those within the ports limits, the traffic management system deployed by the Ghana Maritime Authority, as well as the continuous monitoring of our coastal waters and ports by the Navy and Police, have made our ports very safe for business.�