(* = assist from the US Navy)
According to UPI:
Pirates seized a North Korean-flagged cargo ship owned by Libya’s White Sea Shipping in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia and Yemen, an anti-piracy task force said.
The 4,800-ton MV Rim changed course and was headed for the Somali Basin Wednesday, the European Union Naval Force said, CNN reported. The task force said two U.S. Navy ships working with NATO had confirmed the incident.
There was no immediate confirmation how many crew members were aboard the vessel when it was taken.
This marks the 4th pirate attack involving a North Korean ship or crew off the coast of Somalia. The US Navy has rescued two ships. When Uncle Sam is not around this sort of thing happens. If any North Korean crew were unfortuante enough to be involved in this case, they probably face a long wait in captivity. I can’t think of anyone likely to pay their ransom.
Previous pirate posts below:
DPRK ships (2)* Vs. Somali Pirates (1)
DPRK Merchants (1)* vs. Somali Pirates (1)
Freed N. Korean vessel opens new window for U.S.-N. Korea ties
Seems like an interesting way to smuggle arms to the Somalis. What if someone else paid for them and North Korea has their ship “hijacked” as a method of delivery?
The truth is probably not as elaborate as that. 🙂 I’ve read that North Korea has established itself as a flag of convenience for ships that are too decrepid to meet any other country’s standards. A Reuters story says that the Rim’s crew are thought to be Libyan and Romanian, suggesting that it is indeed using a flag of convenience.