IMB reported two separate piracy incidents in India and Nigeria, on 17 and 21 of November respectively. The first incident took place in Kakinada Anchorage, where robbers boarded a product tanker and stole its stores. The other incident occurred in Lagos Anchorage, where robbers boarded a vessels, but they were noticed.
On November 17, in Kakinada Anchorage, India, robbers boarded unnoticed a product tanker that was anchored at the time. They stole the vessel’s stores and escaped.
During routine rounds, the theft was noticed, and the port control as well as agents were informed.
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The second piracy incident happened in Lagos Anchorage, Nigeria. There two robbers boarded a tanker using a rope. The duty crew on board the vessel noticed the robbers, while the alarm was raised.
Non-essential crew retreated to the citadel, whereas while hearing the alerted crew, the robbers escaped empty handed.
In its recent piracy report, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre reported a total of 156 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the first nine months of 2018 compared to 121 for the same period in 2017.
These incidents can be broken down as following:
- 107 vessels boarded;
- 32 attempted attacks;
- 13 vessels fired upon;
- 4 vessels hijacked.
However, no vessels were reported as hijacked in the third quarter of 2018, marking the first time since 1994 when no vessel hijackings have been reported in two consecutive quarters.
Nevertheless, incidents of this crime remain, with the number of crew members held hostage increasing, compared with the same period in 2017—from 80 incidents to 112 by the third quarter of 2018.
Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB, stated:
While the record low number of hijackings in the second and third quarters of 2018 is of course to be celebrated, incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery remain common
