Piracy Situation Risk Assessment, December 2013

2013-12-03

In November the reported criminal activity against shipping was lower than in previous month. However, near Somalia there were three clear incidents of hijack attempts and a number of suspicious approaching events; one short hijacking event near Malaysia including cargo theft; in West Africa one violent robbery was reported near Sierra Leone and some yet unconfirmed attacks and a kidnapping 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.

WEST AFRICA

NIGERIA: Source in Nigeria informed on three pirates attacks which took place in Akwa Ibom State waters, Bight of Bonny, Nigeria, on Nov 27 13. In the first accident 12 pirates attacked two passenger boats on Ibeno river. Pirates fired in the air, then boarded the boats and robbed passengers, wounding many of them with the machetes. Passengers were forced to leave the boats near the shore, it is understood that they managed to safely reach the shore. Boats were hijacked. Later pirates attacked two tugs in the vicinity of Kwa Ibo. Reportedly, 8 crew were hijacked. (Maritime Bulletin)

SIERRA LEONE: 19.11.2013: 0328 LT: Posn: 08:30N - 013:11W, Freetown Inner Anchorage, Sierra Leone. Five robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored chemical tanker and stole ship's properties. The deck watchman was attacked and held hostage during the robbery. Incident reported to Port Authority who sent a team for investigation. (IMB)

INDIAN OCEAN, RED SEA, PERSIAN GULF

YEMEN: An official in the Yemeni army said that Yemeni forces foiled a suicide attack on 20 November, aimed at the LNG export port in the province of Shabwa in the south east of the country. The official said that a booby-trapped boat approached from international waters, and passed security lines into Yemeni territorial waters in the area surrounding the Port of Balhaf. The port's radars and surveillance cameras spotted the boat when it bypassed the security lines, and naval forces moved immediately towards the boat and opened fire, causing it to explode and sink. The identity and number of those on the boat isn’t yet known. (Gulf Ship News)

INDIAN OCEAN: On 11 November, a Denmark-flagged chemical tanker was attacked near position 07:19 S – 048:36 E, approximately 180 nm northwest of Providence Island, Seychelles. Up to six armed pirates approached the tanker in a skiff. Officer on watch raised the alarm and the armed security team on board fired flares followed by warning shots. The skiff closed to a distance of 200 meters and fired upon the tanker. Master increased speed, activated SSAS, sent distress message, fire hoses activated and the non-essential crew mustered in the citadel. The onboard security team exchanged fire with the pirates resulting in the skiff aborting the attack. (NATO Shipping Centre, IMB, marinelog.com)

GULF OF ADEN: Iranian Navy clams that they have repelled pirate attacks between 8-10 November. “The pirates attacked the Iranian cargo ships in the Gulf of Aden in two stages during the last three days,” Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy for Operations Admiral Siyavash Jarreh said. “In the first stage, 12 speed boats belonging to the pirates, attacked Tour 2 oil tanker near the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea but they fled the scene after the timely action of the Navy’s special operational forces and the escort team,” he added. Jarreh said that an Iranian oil tanker and a bulk carrier were also rescued yesterday and today, respectively by the swift reaction the Iranian warships and their heavy firepower.

SOMALIA: 09.11.2013: 1400 UTC: Posn: 07:19.8S – 048:36.7E (Around 277nm NNW of Madagascar), Off Somalia. About five to six pirates armed with rifles in a skiff approached a chemical tanker underway. OOW raised the alarm and the armed security team on board fired rocket flares followed by warning shots. The skiff closed in to a distance of 200 meters and fired upon the tanker. Master increased speed, activated SSAS, sent distress message, fire hoses activated and the non-essential crew mustered in the citadel. The on board security team exchanged fire with the pirates resulting in the skiff aborting the attack.

SOMALIA: 06.11.2013: 0330 UTC: Posn: 05:40S – 046:59E (About 450nm ESE of Mombasa, Kenya), Off Somalia. One skiff with five heavily armed pirates approached a product tanker underway. Alarm was raised, crew alerted, fire pumps started, speed increased, evasive manoeuvres made, SSAS alert activated and authorities were informed. The pirates fired at the tanker and the armed security on board returned fire. The skiff aborted the attack and moved away.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

No incidents reported.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

VIETNAM: 08.11.2013: 0250 LT: Posn: 10:39.27N – 107:01.11E, Gas-PVC Phuc Thai Jetty, Go Dau, Vietnam. Three robbers armed with a gun and knives boarded a berthed LPG Tanker. The alert crew sounded the alarm and all crew mustered. Seeing crew alertness the robbers escaped with ship's stores in a waiting wooden boat along with their two accomplices. Port control informed.

MALAYSIA: 07.11.2013: 0330 LT: Posn: 01:20N - 103:18E, Around 7.3nm West of Pulau Kukup, Malaysia. Ten pirates armed with guns and knives boarded and hijacked the tanker underway. They tied up all the crew members and held them hostage in one cabin. Later they ordered the Master to steer the ship to a pre designated position. Another unknown orange hull tanker came alongside and the pirates forced the C/O and the bosun to use the cargo pumps and valves and the mooring winches to transfer the oil into the unknown tanker. At around 1600 LT the pirates disembarked after transferring and stealing all the gas oil. Before leaving, the pirates also stole crew personal belongings.

MALAYSIA: On 6 November, approximately 20 robbers boarded a barge being towed by a Singapore-registered tug near position 01:25 N – 104:23 E, approximately 1.6 nm north-northeast of Horsburgh Lighthouse. A Singapore Navy vessel was dispatched to the area. Upon seeing the approaching Naval vessel, the robbers disembarked the barge and departed the area. (IMO)

Summary and recommendations:

• The pirates of Somalia are clearly not gone anywhere. They seem to probe the vessels security systems to find the weaknesses. As many vessel owners have seized to hire armed security teams (in some occasions only one or two guards are hired), the pirates will try their luck to get the vessels with weaker protection. So far they have still met good resistance by the security teams. Probably it would take just one successful attempt to encourage other pirate groups to launch for the new wave of attacks. Vessel owners should continuously keep their security systems on the level that has proven to foil the pirate attacks.

• Gulf of Guinea near Nigeria and surrounding countries will remain highly dangerous despite some successful operations by Nigerian security forces. The armed protection of the vessels is paramount but should always be recruited via and together with trusted security companies.

• Violent cargo thefts from tankers near Malaysia are likely to happen again. As assessed by local experts there is a criminal syndicate involved. Surely the officials will do their best to crack the system down. However, the vessels passing the area should be in full alert and ready to confront the pirates.

• It is highly recommended the vessels passing near Libyan and Thailand waters keep the high alert on possible piracy attacks. Once the security forces are pinned with the protestors and fighters on land it will leave the window of opportunity for the criminal element to operate more freely on seas. Also, as the economy will suffer due instability, the more people will likely become more attracted on piracy in order to sustain their living standards or perhaps even survival.

Source from : Aburgus

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