A seizure warrant and forfeiture complaint were launched on August 16, in the US District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that Oil Tanker ‘Grace 1,’ all petroleum aboard it and $995,000.00 are subject to forfeiture.
As MC-Schiffahrt informed, its vessel MarMalaita was attacked by pirates on 14th of August between 23.00h and 24.00h local time on the anchorage of Douala / Cameroon. A group of pirates boarded the ship and abducted 8 of the 12 crewmembers.
The Grace 1, the Iranian VLCC that was seized by British armed forces off Gibraltar on July 4, has now departed the UK sovereign territory on August 19, heading east across the Mediterranean. The vessel was part of a diplomatic issue, as it was accused of transporting oil for Syria.
As the Financial Times report, leading security companies removed British guards from vessels sailing in the Gulf of Oman, in fear that Iran may capture UK nationals as tensions soar in the Middle East.
Hamburg Authorities seized 1.5 tonnes of cocaine onboard a containership, which was found during a search of an unmanned boxship the previous week, according to German Customs Authority.
A total of six incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia in July 2019, according to ReCAAP ISC’s annual report. The total number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported during January-July 2019 has decreased by 32% compared to January-July 2018.
British authorities seized approximately 398 kilograms of heroin in a container at the Port of Felixstowe on 2 August, in what is claimed to be one of the largest ever heroin seizures in the UK. The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) had identified a container ship suspected of carrying drugs en route to Antwerp.
An escalating tension in the Persian Gulf over the last months continues to pose serious threats to commercial vessels. Associated with these threats is a potential for miscalculation or misidentification that could lead to aggressive actions, the US MARAD warned.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Yisrael Katz, announced that Israel will join the US military coalition for maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. The aim of the coalition is to protect vessels sailing through the Strait and boost maritime safety.
Following the increasing tensions in Strait of Hormuz between the UK and Iran, the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, stated that the UK cannot use the Strait of Hormuz for as long as Iran is denied passage through the Strait of Gibraltar.
