In total 11 incidents of piracy and armed robbery
The ReCAAP ISC has issued its monthly report on piracy for July 2013. According to the report, a total of 11 incidents comprising 10 actualincidents and one attempted incident of piracyand armed robbery against ships were reportedin July 2013. Of these, one was a piracy incidentoccurred in the South China Sea.
Of the 11incidents, three were Category 2 (moderatelysignificant) incidents, one was a Category 3 (less significant, six were petty theft (minimumsignificant) incidents and one was an attempted incident.
Notably, petty theft incidents formed the bulk of the total number of incidents reported in July 2013, and they occurred at ports and anchorages in the Philippines and Indonesia. No Category 1 incident was reported.
The following Charts from the ReCAAP report for July 2013, show the number of incidents and their significance level.
Observations by the ReCAAP ISC
The number of incidents reported in July 2013 has increased compared to the past two years (2011-2012), with the bulk of the incidents being petty theft cases.
The ReCAAP ISC notes that incidents involving ships at anchor were mainly petty theft and Category 3 incidents. However, incidents involving ships while underway were relatively more severe in nature (all Category 2 incidents).
Conclusion
The ReCAAP ISC strongly recommends the Philippine authorities to increase presence and surveillance at the anchorages in Manila Bay, as three incidents have been reported there within an interval of 17 days. The ReCAAP ISC urges ship masters and crew to exercise extra vigilance, especially during hours of darkness, while anchored there as the three incidents occurred between 2330 hrs and 0500 hrs.
For more information please read
ReCAAP ICS Report for July 2013
