Supertanker seized off coast of Somalia

LONDON — A supertanker bound from Saudi Arabia to New Orleans with 28 crew members on board was hijacked off the coast of Somalia, the European Union Naval Force said Monday.

The M/V Maran Centaurus was seized hundreds of miles offshore on Sunday, according to the statement. The ship has altered course and is now headed west towards the Somali ports of Harardheere or Hobyo, the naval force said.

Piracy has become endemic off the Somalia coast and ship seizures have occurred farther and farther offshore in recent months.

Naval forces from Europe and the United States have been patrolling in the region in an attempt to deter the seizures.

The double-hulled ship measures 332 meters in length with a maximum cargo of just under 2.2 million barrels of oil.

It's managed by Maran Tankers Management Inc., according to the Vessel Response Plan Web site run by the U.S. Coast Guard. The vessel formerly sailed under the name Astro Centaurus

The ship, which flies the flag of Greece, was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., according to the Maran Tankers Management Web site.

The Sirius Star supertanker was hijacked in November, 2008.

On Jan. 9 of this year, the pirates said they released the ship in return for $3 million in ransom, according to reports. Photos released by the U.S. Navy showed a package dropped by parachute to the deck of the ship from a small plane. The ship carried a crew of 25, who were unharmed.

Via McClatchy-Tribune News Service.