News

The Main Investigations Directorate over North Caucasian Federal District of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has launched a probe into an attack on the Marmalita ship and the abduction of Russian citizens in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to the investigation, on 15 August 2019, in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of the Republic of Cameroon, unidentified persons attacked the Marmalita ship. A crew of eight people, including three Russian citizens, was on board.

The group of attackers forced the crew to leave the ship using violence. The accomplices restricted the freedom of movement of the abducted, then forcibly took them to an unknown location. After the unlawful demands of the kidnappers were fulfilled, the ship’s crew was released on September 22 in the Republic of Cameroon.

The investigation recognized the actions of these persons under Part 1 of Article 227 and paragraphs A, C, G of Part 2 of Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Russia (piracy; kidnapping).

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is taking measures provided for by international regulations and Russian legislation to establish the circumstances of these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Official spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia S. Petrenko