Piracy activities in the West African waters remain active, with another vessel falling victim. According to multiple confirmations, an LPG carrier sailing in the Gulf of Guinea towards Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, was boarded by armed individuals. Nine crew members were taken hostage, and one other was injured.
Security agency Vanguard stated that at the time of the incident, the vessel was approximately 50 nautical miles from the coast and was forcibly boarded by an unknown number of armed pirates. The vessel involved is the Portuguese-flagged “CGAS Saturn” (3,090 dwt, built in 2003).
According to a report by “Diaplous”, after boarding, the pirates gathered and controlled the crew, stealing personal belongings from several crew members. During the incident, one crew member sustained “minor injuries” and received medical treatment on board.
The pirates subsequently left the vessel, taking nine crew members with them. Vanguard stated that after the incident, the second officer, third officer, a deck officer, and an engine crew member remained on board. Diaplous revealed that a Portuguese Navy patrol boat has been dispatched to intercept and provide support, while the company stated that the “CGAS Saturn” has now sailed into relatively safe waters.
▲ Information on the “CGAS Saturn”, source: ShipVision
Christina Gas stated that the company has activated its emergency response mechanism and is maintaining communication with relevant government and security agencies.
Neptune P2P Group pointed out that this incident once again highlights the long-term threat to crew safety in the Gulf of Guinea waters, particularly the persistent risk that “kidnapping for ransom” poses to commercial shipping. The agency’s statistics show that at least 17 armed robberies or piracy incidents have occurred in the region in the past 12 months. According to the latest report from the International Maritime Bureau, 15 related incidents were reported between January and September 2025, with a total of 14 crew members kidnapped.
