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AFP
Piracy continues to be a problem off the African coast
The pirates kidnapped 12 crew members from a Swiss freighter in Nigerian waters.
Massoel Shipping said its ship, MV Glarus, was carrying wheat from the Nigerian capital to Port Harcourt when it was attacked on Saturday.
"The gang of pirates has boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the wire on the bridge," the company told AFP.
The intruders struck at 45 nautical miles from Bonny Island in the Niger Delta, taking 12 of the 19 crew members.
Massoel, based in Geneva, said the pirates had "destroyed much of the ship's communications equipment".
The nationalities of the crew members remain unknown, but the company said their families were closely informed of the situation.
Specialists are on their way to ensuring the "quick and safe release" of the hostages, the shipping company said.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry said Massoel had confirmed that none of the abductees came from the country itself, according to Reuters.
Kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigeria, with foreigners and prominent Nigerians frequently targeted.
According to a report published in 2017 by the surveillance company Oceans Beyond Piracy, hostage-taking off the coast of Nigeria has increased slightly.
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More people were detained for longer, the organization warning of a "significant increase in the level of violence".
