Reporte de Ataque Pirata a Marinos Peruanos

It was approximately 0200hrs on the morning of June 24, 2011 and M/T Paterna was at anchorage about  15 miles offshore Cotonou Benin waiting to make STS operation with a another vessel 0600hrs that same morning where the second officer was on watch and one O/S on deck. I was in my cabin watching a movie, and I heard the general alarm followed by the announcement “pirates onboard”. During this time I thought it was just random thieves wanting to steal something on the deck and go, but apparently I was wrong.  Fifteen minutes later I heard shouting, banging, and gun shot on the bridge then realize they were more than just thieves. I immediately call the engine cadet cabin and ask if he could see any one through his window and he respond “yes! An a whole heep a dem to and dem arm”, after which, I heard the captain announce that all crew should come to the bridge. On hearing this announcement I started to become a bit scared then I realize that all the other crew were making their way to bridge so I followed. Upon reaching the bridge I was push by one of the pirates who was armed with a shot gun and was told to lie face down with my hands behind my back beside other crew member who was already on the bridge. They tied my hands behind me and stepped on my head repeatedly. While in this position for about 45 minutes, the pirates ask for the bosun, chief engineer and second engineer and ordered the captain to take up their boat that they came on and to put it on the deck. After which the bosun was sent at gun point to heave up the anchor while the chief engineer and second engineer was beaten and taken to the engine room to start main engine.

After the engine was started and the anchor heaved up the head pirate told the captain the steer 185, while the others take us in group of two’s and three’s and ask asked us to show them our cabins. Up on reaching my cabin one of the three pirates asked “Jamaica man where is the money” and the other point a gun at me so I started to search for my wallet and gave them my money, then they moved on to the 3^rd engineer cabin who they started to beat with the wooden end of an axe because he became hesitant in giving in to their demands. When they were through they took us back to the bridge to lie face down again with our hands tied behind us. While laying there the pirates start to ask if the vessel had cargo on board because they wanted to go to South Africa to sell such cargo and also Angola. After realizing that no cargo was on board they start to take out their frustration on the crew by beating us and constantly selecting their guns over our head. Also, they kept asking the master for money and says that he had more than what they took from the cash box and they kept shouting “masta where is the money, I swear I will kill you” and they start to beat him, place his fingers on the table and use the axe to chopped close to his finger tip making a big dent on the table in the bridge after which they carried him, his reliever (captain), chief engineer and second engineer around the aft where they put ropes around there necks to hang them.

On the other hand, it was about 9 o’clock when they asked if we were hungry because they had already ordered the cook to prepare some meal for us and no one wanted to go and eat because of fear and as a result of this they started to kick some of us on the floor demand that we go to eat. We were taken to the mess room in groups of three where they stand over us with guns and axe and watch us eat and after completion we were taken back to the bridge and was place to lay face down again with our hands tied behind our back’s.

The vessel was continuing to steer 185, until they told the captain to turn around and the head pirate gave the captain some coordinates which leads us back to the boarder of Nigeria and Benin and told him that he must go there and they will disembark at that point meanwhile the others were down stairs in the cabin stealing our clothes, shoes, electronics, jewelry, slop chest items just to name a few. At about 2200hrs the all pirates disembarked and sail off to Nigeria in their motor boats, while we were left in fear as our life could have been taken.

Report sent to Capt. Jhonny Pretell