Piracy Situation Risk Assessment, December 2013, Issue 20 Highlights of the past month:
In November the reported criminal activity against shipping was lower than previous month. However, near Somalia there were three clear incidents of hijack attempts and a number of suspicious approaching events; one short hijacking near Malaysia including cargo theft; in West Africa one violent robbery was reported near Sierra Leone and some yet unconfirmed attacks and hijack have likely happened near Nigeria in the end of past month.
Iranian Navy says that they have foiled at least two attacks to commercial vessels in Gulf of Aden. In one occasion there were 12 speed boats belonging to the pirates according to high Navy official. However, the incidents do not show up in official reports for some reason.
The two American sailors - the captain and the chief engineer - kidnapped on October 23 in an attack of the C-Retriever, a boat refueling tanker, offshore Nigeria, were released. The pirate group has announced that $2 million cash ransom had been paid to them. No other sources confirm the sum. However, there are concerns that the revealed relevantly high rate of ransom may lure more pirates to kidnaping business.
Nigerian Forces said that they have dismantled a militant camp in Bakassi local government area of Cross River State. The force disclosed that its operatives destroyed 59 illegal refineries, arrested seven suspects, and 4 barges in its offensive against oil thieves.
Yemeni forces claim that they have foiled a waterborne suicide attack to LNG export port in the province of Shabwa.
Again a tanker’s cargo was robbed in West African style near Malaysia being third of its kind in near past. Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said the agency had reason to believe that a syndicate was involved, based on the modus operandi of the pirates.
High rate of theft and robbery has happened in Indian ports. India has seen a growing number of criminal incidents off its shores in recent months in particular in anchorages such as Belawan, Sagar, Kandla and Visakhapatnam.
There are also escalating clashes going on between Government and protestors in Thailand. Despite having no direct implications to maritime security so far the situation may likely change in near future.
Also in Libya, where deadly clashes erupt between Army and militants, pinning the law enforcement on developments to hotspots on land, the piracy incidents are more likely to occur soon.
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