Small Wars at Sea: 21st century piracy

[AdamG]

So, ransom paid or did someone dispatch a mop-up crew?

The crew of an oil tanker that had been hijacked by pirates has regained control of the ship, Anglo-Eastern, a ship management company, said today.
Pirates hijacked the merchant vessel Marine Express, which was carrying about 14,900 tons of gas, last Thursday.
"All crew members are reported to be safe and well and the cargo intact," Anglo-Eastern said.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...ry?id=52873042

As of 0330 hours GMT on Thursday, when she was last in touch, the Express was at an anchorage off the port of Cotonou in the Gulf of Guinea, an area known for a high risk of piracy. She had 22 crewmembers and 13,500 tons of gasoline on board.
If the Express' disappearance is the result of a hijacking, it would be the second in three weeks off Benin. On January 9, U.K. shipowner Union Maritime lost contact with the product tanker Barrett, which was at anchor off Cotonou. The Barrett had been taken by pirates, and her crew were in captivity for six days while a "resolution process" moved forward. The crew and the vessel were eventually released.

https://www.maritime-executive.com/a...nea#gs._scRCYE

Note: for reference, see the locked mega-thread on Somali piracy
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=5621