The Somali Pirates hijacked the M/V Eglantine bulker ship on March 26, 2012 along with its 23 crews including the 10 Filipinos crews.
Background
The hijacking of M/V Eglantine by the Somali Pirates was the first attack in the Maldives.
The Eglantine Hijacking
On March 26, 2012, the Somali pirates seized control of the M/V Eglantine bulker ship off Hoarafush Island near the Gulf of Aden in about 305 nautical miles from Maldives’ capital of Male or 460 nautical miles west-southwest of Cape Comorin. It was carrying 63,000 tons of sugar from and on their way to Iran to deliver the cargo.
About the Eglantine Bulker
The M/V Eglantine is a bulker ship with Bolivian flag. It is owned by Andulena Corp. of Tehran in Iran and is operated by a Bolivian company, Kish Shipping Lines.
The Eglantine Crew Members
The M/V Eglantine has 23 crew members which includes:
- 10 of them are Filipinos
- 11 Iranians
- 1 Indian
- 1 Ukrainian
Eglantine Rescue by Iranian Navy
The Iranian navy went to the place where the vessel was located and staged a rescue operation on April 2, 1012.
The Somali pirates learned already about the rescue operation. So they tied hands of the ship’s crew members behind their backs and made them their shield during the exchange of fire.
During the cross fire, 1 Filipino crew was hit in the head and died. Another Filipino crew hid in the engine room and died by suffocation.
The other 8 Filipino crew members were successfully rescued along with the others.
12 Somali Pirates are arrested by the Iranian Navy.