Kidnapped LPG Carrier Crew Released from Captivity in West Africa

Nine kidnapped crewmembers from the CGAS Saturn were released (photo by René Nielsen, courtesy of VesselFinder)

Published Dec 30, 2025 6:14 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The nine members of the crew aboard the LPG gas carrier CGAS Saturn have been released and are reported to be safe after their ordeal in West Africa. The owner of the vessel, Christiania Gas, announced on December 29 that the crew was released and being repatriated.

The incident began on December 3 while the CGAS Saturn (3,090 dwt) was underway approximately 50 nautical miles west of the African coast, bound for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The reports said the 13 crewmembers were rounded up by an unknown number of pirates who boarded the ship. Personal belongings were also stolen.

The pirates abducted nine of the crewmembers when they left the ship. They left four people behind on the ship, and Christiania later said that one of them had sustained light injuries. Initially, the injured individual was treated on the ship and later transferred for medical care in an onshore hospital. They were able to sail the vessel to a safe port in West Africa after the incident.

The company did not provide any details on the release of the individuals or their nationalities. Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, said today that a Polish sailor had been freed and was now home with family.

While the level of piracy activity has declined in the region, security consultants continue to emphasize that the danger remains high off West Africa. There were at least 17 armed robbery or piracy incidents reported in the Gulf of Guinea over the past 12 months, according to the Neptune P2P Group. Between January and September, the International Maritime Bureau calculated that a total of 14 crewmembers had been kidnapped. Robberies and kidnap-for-ransom remain a key threat to vessels operating in the region.
 

Top photo by René Nielsen, courtesy of VesselFinder