Pirates hijack BD vessel in Arabian Sea

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FE Report
Pirates have Sunday captured a Bangladesh-flagged vessel in the Arabian Sea off the coast of India, shipping department chief Rear Admiral Bazlur Rahman said.
The MV Jahan Moni, manned by 25 Bangladeshi crew, came under attack by heavily armed pirates twice before giving in on Sunday afternoon when the shipping department lost all contacts with the vessel, Rahman said.
"The ship sent stress signal from the Arabian Sea and raised security alarm. It was first chased and attacked by pirates at about 4.pm. Then at about 5.38pm we lost all contacts with the ship," he said.
"All symptoms are there that pirates have taken control of the ship. We are monitoring its movement through long range identity and tracking devise. It is now showing erratic movement, which also confirms our fear," he added.
The shipping department contacted a UK Maritime office based in Dubai. "They said six pirates first launched the attack and they suspect the ship is now in pirates' control," he said.
According to the shipping department, it was the first high-sea piracy incident involving Bangladeshi vessel. Local ships have earlier thwarted not-so-serious pirate attacks in the Bay of Bengal.
Brave Royal, a Chittagong-based company, owns the vessel which was carrying merchandise from Singapore to Europe.
Rahman said his department has sought help from the UK office, the regional anti-piracy office in Singapore and the Indian coast guards to help free the ship.
Officials declined to reveal the full details of crew and its captains.