Gulf of Guinea pirates abduct nine seafarers from Portugal-flagged vessel

Nine seafarers were kidnapped in a pirate attack on the LPG carrier CGAS Saturn off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, maritime security company Vanguard reported. The Portugal-flagged vessel was attacked in the Gulf of Guinea, approximately 50 nautical miles west of Mbini.

According to Vanguard least nine crew members were abducted, while four remained onboard, including the second captain, third captain, deck officer, and oiler. One of the remaining crew sustained light injuries. An earlier Vanguard report had initially indicated that at least 12 crew were kidnapped and only one remained onboard, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

CGAS Saturn, owned and operated by Christiania Gas—the LPG shipping arm of Eitzen Group’s Christiania Shipping—confirmed the attack and the kidnapping of nine crew members. The company stated that the injured crew member suffered minor injuries and that the vessel had proceeded to safe waters.

“Christiania Gas is greatly concerned about the attack on its vessel and seafarers. The company’s main priority now is to establish contact with the missing crew to secure their earliest and safe release,” said Christiania Shipping.

The 2003-built vessel was en route to Equatorial Guinea’s capital, Malabo, on the island of Bioko at the time of the attack. Christiania Shipping added: “The emergency response team are liaising with all relevant authorities who were notified immediately after the incident. The company is in close contact with the families of the seafarers to support them in this extremely difficult time.”

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea reached its peak in the mid-2010s but has declined in recent years. In 2024, four incidents off Equatorial Guinea were reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, including one involving the kidnapping of two crew members from a general cargo vessel. Earlier this year, on March 17, ten armed pirates boarded the Panama-flagged Bitu River, abducting all ten crew members, including the captain and chief engineer.

By Vafa Guliyeva