Piracy Situation Risk Assessment, May 2014, Issue 25 Highlights of the Past Month:
Last month has seen the similar pirate activities comparing to the last month. The main sources reported at least 4 suspicious events in Indian Ocean/Red Sea area where the clear tripwires were identified, two serious incidents near Nigeria, of from one ended with fatality of the crew member, and at least 14 robberies or attempts in South China Sea region.
There is a rising scouting of armed skiffs around Bab El Mandeb Strait, Red Sea area. Several skiffs are reported trying to approach, carring RPG or ladder in some occasions.
Somali pirates had fled a captured vessel after they had spotted Spanish EU Naval Force maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. The master of the dhow told the story on April 26. He said that his vessel had been captured by 6 pirates who had been armed. The dhow and the crew had been taken hostages. The pirates left the scene after pressure applied by the EU Naval Force from the sea and the air. The pirates had planned to use the vessel as a kind of "mother ship" to attack merchant vessels at sea.
Armed pirates attacked Naniwa Maru No.1, a Japanese oil tanker, off the coast of Malaysia. They abducted three sailors and have stolen half of the cargo carried by the vessel. According to the Malaysian maritime police, the accident happened on Wednesday at 1.00 am local time in the Malacca strait while Naniwa Maru was en route from Myanmar to Singapore loaded with 5 million litres of diesel and 18 crew members on board. The pirates managed to pump out over 2.5 million litres of diesel into two waiting boats and have kidnapped three Indonesian crew members. However, the authorities now suspect the three crew members, that have been kidnapped, are part of the criminal group. The theory of the police has been based on the fact that the master, the chief engineer and the chief officer of Naniwa Maru No.1 have disappeared with their personal belongings, including passports and clothes. This, combined with the fact that no ransom demand has been made for the three missing Indonesian, give extra credence to the theory.
Near Nigeria a merchant sailor was killed during a shootout between maritime security forces and pirates aboard the Medaillon Reedererei-owned product tanker SP Brussels. During the exchange of gunfire, two of the pirates were killed by the armed guards and one other crew member sustained minor injuries. The ship was carrying a crew of 17 plus two armed guards at the time of the incident.
1/5