No weapons

Reports that weapons comprised part of the cargo of the hijacked car carrier Asian Glory have been dismissed as nonsense by Zodiac Maritime Agencies.

Zodiac Maritime insists its ship was carrying only civilian vehicles and no military supplies.

Asian Glory

“There were no weapons of any sort on board. The Asian Glory was transporting the vehicles she was chartered to carry,” Zodiac Maritime’s operations director, Paul Shields, tells TradeWinds.

The Eukor-chartered Asian Glory loaded a cargo of 2,400 of mostly Hyundai cars in South Korea and was bound for Saudi Arabia when it was seized by pirates about 1,000 kilometres off the Horn of Africa on 2 January.

Shields said the cargo did not include military vehicles never mind weapons.

The agency reports claimed the Asian Glory was carrying weapons for Saudi Arabian forces to attack Yemeni insurgents. The Houthis rebels have launched attacks in Saudi Arabia as well as Yemen.

The Somalian pirates who are holding the Asian Glory are meanwhile reported to be seeking a ransom of as much at $15m, more than twice the highest figure previously paid although this appears to be a negotiation target rather than an amount to be paid.

The Asian Glory has a crew of 25 comprised of 10 Ukrainians, 8 Bulgarians, 5 Indians and 2 Romanians.

Printable version Newsletter sign up