Piracy Fears as Cargo Ship Vanishes off England

LONDON, England (CNN) -- An international search operation was underway Wednesday for a cargo ship which vanished after being involved in what appears to be an unprecedented incident of piracy in European waters.

The Russian-crewed Arctic Sea, carrying a 6,500-ton cargo of timber from Finland to Algeria, was last heard of nearly two weeks ago when it passed through the English Channel, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Russia said naval vessels authorised to use force were now hunting the vessel backed by "space-based" detection systems.

The Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea is believed to have been briefly hijacked off Sweden by raiders posing as drug enforcement officers who tied up, gagged and blindfolded the crew, causing several injuries, and searched the vessel.

Experts say acts of piracy are unheard of in heavily-policed European waters, with maritime crime largely restricted to areas such as Somalia in Africa where governments have little or no control over their ports.

The Arctic Sea apparently vanished after a last known contact on July 31, failing to make its scheduled arrival in north Africa on August 4. Maltese maritime officials said several governments were now trying to track down the ship.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has instructed the country's Defense Minister Anatoly Serduykov to "take all necessary measures to locate, monitor and, if necessary, to free the missing vessel," a statement said.

According to Swedish police and Maltese Maritime Authority (MMA) accounts, the Arctic Sea's troubles begain on July 24 when a group of between eight and 12 men boarded at 3 a.m., occupying the vessel for 12 hours.

They restrained the crew and questioned them about drug trafficking before locking them in their quarters.

"During their stay onboard, the members of the crew were allegedly assaulted, tied, gagged and blindfolded and some of them were seriously injured," an MMA statement said.

Swedish police spokeswoman Maria Lönegård said during the suspected hijack, the vessel's radar and satellite systems were off-line for two hours, during which it was witnessed performing "extreme maneuvers."

Since the crew believed they had been boarded by a genuine law enforcement agency, no police complaint was initially made, and the Arctic Sea continued on its way. Details eventually reached police through diplomatic channels.

Lönegård said Swedish police spoke with the Arctic Sea's captain on July 31, when the ship was believed to be off the coast of France. This is believed to be the last known contact with the vessel.

Earlier, on July 28, the ship had made contact with British coastguard -- a standard procedure as it passed through the busy waters of the English Channel -- but reported nothing untoward.

Russia's Defense Ministry said on it's Web site that Black Sea Fleet patrol ship Ladny was heading the search operation and had Wednesday passed through the Strait of Gibraltar en route to the Atlantic.

While piracy levels have recently increased off the coast of East Africa, incidents in European waters are unheard of, according to UK maritime experts.

"Attacks on ships are extremely rare, basically they don't happen," said Jeremy Harrison of the British Chamber of Shipping.

Approximately 400 ships pass daily through the Dover Strait -- the narrowest stretch of the English Channel -- and all are required to check in with either British of French coastguards.

The Arctic Sea is Maltese-flagged and Latvian-owned but operated by Finnish firm Solchart Management. Its cargo of sawn timber is owned by another Finnish company, Stora Enso.

Stora Enso told CNN it had no idea of the whereabouts of the ship or its cargo, which it said was worth €50,000 ($70,000).

Best Easter Gift Is the Gift Of LIFE

Captain freed, pirates killed, U.S. official says
(CNN) -- The captain of the Maersk Alabama was freed Sunday after being held captive since Wednesday by pirates off the Somalia coast, a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the situation told CNN.

The official said Capt. Richard Phillips is uninjured and in good condition, and that three of the four pirates were killed. The fourth pirate is in custody. Phillips was taken aboard the USS Bainbridge, a nearby naval warship.

Earlier Sunday afternoon Maersk Line Limited, owner of the Maersk Alabama, said the U.S. Navy informed the company that it had sighted Phillips in a lifeboat where pirates are holding him hostage off the coast of Somalia.

Phillips was spotted another time earlier in the day, the Navy said.

On Saturday, the FBI launched a criminal investigation into the hijacking of the U.S.-flagged cargo ship by Somali pirates, two law enforcement officials told CNN. The probe will be led by the FBI's New York field office, which is responsible for looking into cases involving U.S. citizens in the African region, the officials said.

The Maersk Alabama reached port in Mombasa, Kenya, on Saturday. Crew members aboard the freed cargo ship described how some of their colleagues attempted to "jump" their pirate captors.

A scuffle ensued and one of the sailors stabbed a pirate in the hand in the battle to retake the container ship, one of the sailors told CNN.

Snippets of information are starting to emerge about how the Alabama's crew managed to retake the ship after it was hijacked by pirates Wednesday about 350 miles off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.

Crew members smiled broadly as they stood on the ship's deck under the watchful eyes of security teams. Although the crew was kept away from the media, CNN's Stan Grant got close enough to ask crew members what happened after the pirates climbed aboard the ship.

One crew member said he recalled being awakened around 7 a.m. as the hijacking began.

"I was scared," Grant quoted the man as saying.

Some of the crew managed to hide in a secure part of the Alabama as the pirates stormed the ship, the sailor said.

As the sailors described their clash with the pirates, a crew member pointed to one shipmate and said, "This guy is a hero. He and the chief engineer, they took down the pirate. ... He led him down there to the engine room and then they jumped him."

The shipmate added that he stabbed the pirate's hand and tied him up.

"Capt. Phillips is a hero," another crew member shouted from the deck of the freed ship.

Since Phillips was captured Wednesday, the destroyer USS Bainbridge has been in the area of the lifeboat, trying to free him.

An attempt by Phillips to escape from the 28-foot covered lifeboat was thwarted by a pirate, who dove into the Indian Ocean after him. Phillips' captors appear to have tied him up afterward, Pentagon officials said.

The Alabama resumed its course on Thursday for Mombasa, its original destination, carrying food aid and an armed 18-person security detail.

Maersk president and CEO John Reinhart told reporters Saturday that the crew will stay on board in Mombasa while the FBI conducts an investigation.

This Pirate Shit Is Getting Crazy!

Hostage captain recaptured by pirates after dramatic escape attempt
There was a dramatic new twist to the Indian Ocean pirate stand-off today when the American captain held by Somalis off the African coast attempted to escape by diving into the water.

Captain Richard Phillips, who has been drifting on a lifeboat with his captors for two days, leapt overboard but was retaken by the gang, which is believed to be seeking a ransom for his safe return.

Captain Phillips had been reported to be unharmed after being taken hostage by the four pirates, who failed to capture his 17,000 tonne US-flagged container ship, the Maersk Alabama, on Wednesday. The ship’s lifeboat has run out of fuel, and although two boats full of heavily-armed fellow pirates have taken to sea in solidarity, their crews are too nervous to come near due to the presence of foreign naval ships - including the USS Bainbridge destroyer.

FBI hostage negotiators became directly involved in the high-seas drama yesterday, but their efforts were met with defiance today when one of the pirates said the group would fight any attack by US naval forces.

“We are not afraid of the Americans,” one of the pirates told the Reuters news agency by satellite phone. “We will defend ourselves if attacked.”

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