Piracy Situation Risk Assessment, March 2014, Issue 23 Highlights of the Past Month:
Last week of February has been dominated by reports of suspicious activity within the Gulf of Oman based on either aggressive or erratic small boat behavior. In general the reported criminal activity against shipping was moderate.
There was at least one confirmed attack against a vessel near Somalia and few suspicious activities. Gulf of Guinea has seen the similar struggle as past months including hostage taking. Incidents on South China Sea have increased comparing to the previous month.
Al-Shabab is continuing to destabilize Somalia. There has been an increase in violence in Mogadishu in recent weeks, including suicide car bombs, night-time mortar raids and daytime clashes between the security forces and al-Shabab.
Egypt has sent a strong message to jihadists trying to endanger the vessel traffic in Suez Canal. Last week Egyptian court sentenced 26 people to death for plotting attacks on ships passing through the Suez Canal last year.
Analysts are pointing out that in Gulf of Guinea region Captains and Chief Engineers become the main targets, both for illegal bunkering and as kidnap victims. However, under-reporting in the region is at an all-time high, with most incident reports coming via third parties or even through local media. Events reported to UKMTO between 22-28 February
1/5
Latest major incidents: INDIAN OCEAN, RED SEA, PERSIAN GULF PAKISTAN: 28.02.2014: 1300 LT: Posn: 22:33N – 062:44E, Around 40nm SE off Gwadar. A bulk carrier underway was chased by a skiff for approximately four hours. The vessel took evasive measures as per BMP4, reported to UKMTO and headed toward the Pakistani coast for assistance. The Pakistani navy deployed a naval asset which located the skiff and detained the suspected pirates. GULF OF OMAN: 28.02.2014 at 08:51 UTC. It has been confirmed by the UKMTO that a merchant vessel has reported being attacked by 2 skiffs at 0851 UTC in position 22:28N – 060:51.5E, Gulf of Oman. Two skiffs were involved and had 2-3 people on board each skiff. Ladders were sighted.
GULF of OMAN: 24.02.2014 at 14:25 UTC Lat: 24.38.00 North Long: 057.43.00 East. It has been reported that a Crude Oil Tanker was approached by a skiff with 2 people on board launched from a mother vessel. The mother vessel had a black hull and a blue wheelhouse with a canvas awning. The on board armed security team fired a total of 3 flares before the skiff aborted its approach. SOMALIA: 13.02.2014: 1430 UTC: Posn: 01:07N - 044:34E, 3NM North of Barawe. Five persons armed with guns chased and fired upon a Ro-Ro vessel underway. The on board armed security team returned fire and after around 20 minutes the persons aborted the attempt and moved away. A few hours later, the pirates made another unsuccessful attack against the ship. Several containers on the vessel were damaged during the attack. No crew members were injured during the attacks. 2/5
GULF OF ADEN: 08.02.2014: 0420 UTC: Posn: 12:24N – 043:32E. Twelve pirates in three skiffs approached a general cargo ship under way. The skiffs approached at high speed from the port and starboard side and closed to around 500 meters from the ship. Possible ladder identified in a skiff. Alarm raised, authorities informed, crew mustered in the citadel and flares fired in the direction of the skiff. As the skiffs continued to approach the private armed security fired warning shots resulting in the skiffs stopping and aborting the approach.
WEST AFRICA NIGERIA: On 19 February, six pirates in a small boat attempted to board an underway tanker near position 03:57 N – 005:18 E, 26 nm southwest of Pennington Oil Terminal. Upon detecting the pirates, the crew raised the alarm and immediately started taking evasive maneuvers. The pirates tried to hook on the ladder several times at different positions along the port and starboard quarters. The pirates departed the area after the armed embarked security team fired warning shots. NIGERIA: On 6 February, pirates attacked and boarded the Barbados-flagged offshore supply vessel off the Bayelsa State coast. Pirates directed the vessel to a particular spot on the coast, near 03:49 N 005:43 E and then departed the ship, taking with them the ship’s Captain and Chief Engineer. NIGERIA: 06.02.2014: 1055 LT: Posn: 04:01N – 005:01E, Around 75nm WSW of Brass. Eight armed pirates in a speed boat chased a chemical tanker underway. The vessel raised alarm, made evasive maneuvers, sent distress message and activated the SSAS alert. The pirates maneuvered alongside the vessel, and boarded using a long ladder. The crew cut off the power in the ship and retreated into the citadel. After around five hours the crew emerged and noticed the pirates had used sledge hammers to break into stores and cabins. Ship's communication equipment was also destroyed. The crew managed to start the emergency generators and other necessary machinery, informed the owners and sailed the vessel to Lagos.
3/5
NIGERIA: On 5 February, a drifting tanker experienced a suspicious approach near position 03:46 N – 006:24 E: approximately 30 nm southeast of Brass Terminal. Watchmen on the ship sighted a skiff with six persons armed with rifles approaching the vessel and looking for a way to board the vessel using a rope and hook. Alarm raised and SSAS alert activated. Seeing crew alertness the pirates aborted the attempt and moved away.
SOUTHEAST ASIA SINGAPORE STRAITS: 06.02.2014: 0615 LT: Posn: 01:03N – 103:36E. Five robbers armed with knives boarded a general cargo ship under way, entered the engine room and aggressively approached the duty crew who immediately left the engine room and informed the bridge. Alarm raised, all crew mustered on the bridge and SSAS activated. Later a complete search of the vessel was carried out.
INDONESIA: 10.02.2014: 0330 LT: Posn: 01:21.3N – 104:41.5E, Around 10nm NE of Tg. Berakit, Pulau Bintan. Six robbers armed with guns and long knives in a small boat approached and boarded an anchored bulk carrier. Duty oiler noticed the robbers in the engine room and informed the D/O on the bridge. Alarm raised, ship’s whistle sounded, SSAS activated and all crew mustered on the bridge. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers were seen exiting the engine room and escaping in their boat. Crew searched the vessel and found nothing stolen. INDONESIA: 01.02.2014: 0245 LT: Posn: 01:42.6N – 101:25.6E, Dumai Inner Anchorage. Five robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored chemical tanker. They entered into the engine room, took hostage the duty oiler and 2/E, tied them up and stole engine room spares. As the robbers were leaving the engine room the 3/E noticed the robbers, raised the alarm and released the 2/E and oiler. Incident reported to the local authorities.
4/5
Summary and recommendations:
Due rise of suspicious activity in vicinity Gulf of Oman and in one confirmed occasion near Pakistan it is highly recommended to have armed guards on board while paralleling the northern coast line India-Pakistan-Iran. Due date it is not known who are the groups acting suspiciously there and are they really posing the threat to shipping but last week’s actions in the area are seriously out of normal pattern
In a separate incident within Gulf of Oman a vessel reported being asked over VHF for sensitive information which the master rightly declined. Incidents of this nature should be reported to UKMTO to include details of the source if possible and the type of information being requested.
Despite the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s announcement in early February that the Straits of Malacca, which used to be notorious for piracy, is now “pirate-free” due to better enforcement, the real life is not corresponding to it yet. The increase of patrols in the area is highly welcomed but this does not mean “pirate-free” for commercial shipping any time soon.
Sources: ICC, NATO, ONI, NGA, UKMTO, Clearwater, Oceanus Live, Shipping Position, Maritime Bulletin, Marsecreview, Reuters, CNN, BBC, NYT, Al Jazeera, All Africa, cCaptain, Hellenic Shipping News, Want China Times, DefenceWeb, New Straits Times, Sahara Reporters, IHS Maritime, Foreign Policy, Maritime Security Asia etc.
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5/5