Irene South Africa

SA probes tanker hijack

A team of South African police special forensic investigators and detectives will help Interpol in an international probe into a hijacked oil supertanker now headed for Durban.

The Greek-owned MV Irene SL, transporting $200 million (R1.35bn) of crude oil, was attacked by Somali pirates south-east of Muscat in the North Arabian Sea more than two months ago while it was en route from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, to the US.

The pirates, armed with an assortment of heavy calibre weapons, believed to include rocket-propelled grenades and rocket launchers, managed to board the 161 175 ton ship on February 9 and forced the captain to sail to Somalia where they held it for 57 days.

Released on April 7 after a multi-million-dollar ransom was paid by the ship’s owners, the vessel is now sailing to Durban where it is expected to arrive tomorrow to stop while a team of Interpol investigators from France work with their South African counterparts on the investigation.

The probe comes as the South African National Defence Force steps up naval military operations in the Mozambique Channel as the threat of piracy to southern Africa’s waters increases.

The SAS Mendi, one of South Africa’s four frigates, is currently on patrol in the channel and is believed to be carrying a team of specially trained Special Forces operators who are carrying out a series of boarding missions on suspicious vessels in the area.

On board the very large crude carrier, with a deadweight of 319 247 tons, is a crew of 25 sailors, including seven Greek nationals, 17 Filipinos and a Georgian.

French embassy spokesman, Matt Wate, yesterday confirmed that a team of Interpol investigators from France would come to South Africa to take part in the investigation.

According to an internal memo, a special request by the Interpol secretary-general was made to the SAPS to conduct a crime scene investigation of the vessel.

The document states that the team is to contain the crime scene to prevent any contamination of exhibits, to question the crew and attend to the injured.