Lithuanian ship captured by pirates

Aug 07, 2009
TBT Staff

VILNIUS- As announced by Limarko Laivininkystes Kompanija, five crew members of the Saturnas ship have been taken hostage off the coast of Nigeria. All members are healthy, but the company is continuing to negotiate the crew's release.

 The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has not claimed responsibility for the alleged attack on a Lithuanian cargo ship at the Escravos anchorage off the Nigerian coast on the night of August 5.

 According to the data of the Lithuanian foreign ministry, the captured Lithuanian nationals were taken in unknown direction by a motor boat. Vytautas Lygnugaris, CEO of Limarko Laivininkystes Kompanija, told ELTA that the ship was carrying frozen fish.

 "The ship was berthed and waiting for discharge in the morning. People armed with automatic arms approached the ship by boat. They did not try to get anything from the ship; captured five people who were guarding the ship at that moment and left," said Lygnugaris.

The company has no information about the number of attackers or where the hostages are currently located.

According to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry,  this is the first time that Lithuania has to independently rescue its nationals from pirates. There have been instances of Lithuanian crew members being taken hostage, but all have been part of an international crew.

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