1 January 2015 – 31 March 2015 for piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia
The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre has issued its Quarterly Report for piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia from1 January 2015 – 31 March 2015.
Overall number of incidents reported during January-March of 2015 has increased to 38 from the lowest of 29 incidents reported during the same period in 2013. Of the 38 incidents, four were incidence of piracy and 34 were robberies onboard ships. Of concern was the number of most severe incidents of siphoning of ship fuel/oil; and the increasing number of incidents (mainly petty theft in nature) in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) and at some ports and anchorages in Vietnam.
Notably, the number of incidents in the SOMS during the 1st Quarter of 2015 has doubled compared to the same period in 2014. The ReCAAP ISC urges the littoral States to step up surveillance; and ship masters and crew to exercise enhanced vigilance when their ships were underway in the straits.
With increase in incidents reported at some ports and anchorages in Vietnam, more stringent enforcement of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code, and active patrolling by the relevant agencies are advocated.
The ReCAAP ISC encourages ship owners and masters to report all incidents/ suspicious activities to the nearest coastal State immediately, and the relevant authorities to respond by dispatching their patrol assets to the location of the incident; as demonstrated in the incident involving chemical tanker Sun Birdie on 29 Jan 15 where the perpetrators were arrested and the vessel recovered.
You may download the report by clicking on the image below:
Source and Image Credit: ReCAAP
