At its latest weekly report, the ReCAAP ISC informed of one incident of armed robbery involving the Singapore-flagged bulk carrier ‘PPS Luck’, while at Samarinda Anchorage, Muara Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, on 19 April.
While at anchor, the crew discovered that the padlocks of the fore peak store entrance were broken and two mooring ropes were missing. One of the ropes was from the starboard side mooring drum and the another from inside the forecastle store.
Upon investigation, the incident was estimated to take place between 0200 – 0600 hrs. The perpetrators armed with knives were believed to climb on board the ship via the anchor chain and stole the ropes by lowering to a small boat from the forward store door at the forecastle deck. The crew was not injured.
ReCAAP ISC earlier noted another similar incident against the Cyprus-flagged bulk carrier ‘Katerina’, while underway, approximately 4.7 nm northeast of Nongsa Point, Batam Island, Indonesia, in Singapore Straits, in the morning hours of 22 April.
While underway, the duty officer sighted four perpetrators in the engine room. The master raised the alarm and mustered the crew. Realising that the crew had been alerted, the perpetrators escaped immediately. A search was conducted and there was no further sighting of the perpetrators and no item was reported lost. The crew was not injured and no item was stolen.
- The ReCAAP ISC urges ship master and crew to report all incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships to the nearest coastal State and flag State, exercise vigilance and adopt relevant preventive measures taking reference from the Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.
- The ReCAAP ISC reiterates its advisory issued via the ReCAAP ISC Incident Alert dated 21 November 2016 to all ships to re-route from the area, where possible.
- Otherwise, ship masters and crew are strongly urged to exercise extra vigilance while transiting the Sulu-Celebes Sea and eastern Sabah region.
In its piracy report for the first quarter of 2018, IMB highlighted that Indonesia recorded nine low level attacks against anchored vessels. Despite this, in its recent quarterly report, ReCAAP ISC noted a significant drop in piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships in Asia, with a total 14 incidents in January-March period, compared to 27 incidents that were reported during the same period in 2017.
