Tag: IMB

Recent pirate activity in the Mozambique Channel Recent pirate activity in the Mozambique Channel has prompted Neptune Maritime Security to issue the following Advisory Notice to shipping partners transiting the area and maritime media outlets, in order to raise awareness of a potential hotspot in the region.The International Maritime Bureau had previously warned1 of potential activity in the area and, ironically, on the day of the first attempted attack (as described by the IMB's Live Piracy Reporting Centre), September 21st,Defence analyst Helmeod-Römer Heitman told a security seminar in Pretoria that: "Both sides are not particularly densely populated, are seriously under-policed and there is a lot of shipping going through."2 The two incidents we draw attention to took place on September 21st and 23rd in the area of the Glorioso Islands in the Northern Mozambique Channel, off the coast of Madagascar.In the attempted attack on September 21st, the IMB report3 stated that the crew of a container ship underway at position 12:46.6S-046:18.5E spotted two skiffs at 0643 UTC, with three to four people aboard each skiff at a distance of approximately 1.5nm. The skiffs increased speed to around 18 knots and approached the container ship from different sides. The vessel carried ...

27 September 2011 24.09.2011: 0130 UTC: Posn: 06:01N - 001:15E, Lome Anchorage, TogoTwo small boats closed onto the shipside of an anchored chemical tanker. The duty officer told the boats to move away but this was ignored. Later, two more boats were seen approaching the vessel from the stern and securing themselves to the ship's rudder. The Master informed the Togo Navy, which responded and detained all four boats. Nothing was stolen.22.09.2011: 0530 UTC: Posn: 06:01N - 001:15E, Lome Anchorage, TogoThe duty officer onboard an anchored chemical tanker noticed a fishing boat slowly approaching. As the boat closed to the ship, the duty officer informed the boat to move away. This was ignored by the fishing boat, and later two more boats were seen to join the first boat. The Master informed the Togo Navy, which responsed to the call and detained two boats, while the third escaped.24.09.2011: 2050 UTC: Posn: 12:25.8N - 043:38.2E, Gulf of AdenPirates in a dark coloured rubber boat chased and fired upon a bulk carrier underway. The Master, duty watchman and a duty armed guard noticed a small boat at a distance of 20 metres from the ship. The Master raised the alarm, and all ...

To all ships at or off Lome Anchorage in Togo, West Africa The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has issued the following piracy alert/warning to all ships at or off Lome Anchorage in Togo, West Africa:"Togo Navy Advisory: Local fishermen may approach ships at anchor or drifting because the vessel's light attracts fish at night. In case these boats or any suspicious boats come closer than .5 NM, they should be monitored and if they show intent/attempt to board, the Togo Navy Operations Center on VHF 16 should be contacted immediately and the Navy will dispatch a Naval Boat to the vessel's position to provide assistance. It should also be reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre as the IMB PRC will liaise with the Togo Navy.Ships are advised to report all piratical attacks and suspicious movements of craft to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.IMB PIRACY REPORTING CENTRE 24 HOURS ANTI-PIRACYHELPLINE: +603 2031 0014FAX: +60 3 2078 5769EMAIL: [email protected] // [email protected]: MA 34199."Source: IMB

In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before Over 260 pirate attacks were witnessed on world's seas in the first six months of the year, most of them by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea, but the number of hijacks went down due to strong international naval patrolling on the Eastern coast of Africa.The International Marime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre said the year 2011 saw a total of 266 attacks in the first half of the year, up from 196 incidents in the same period last year.More than 60 per cent of the attacks were by Somali pirates, a majority of which were in the Arabian Sea area, said the report, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships.As of June 30, Somali pirates were holding 20 vessels and 420 crew, and demanding ransoms of millions of dollars for their release."In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they're taking higher risks," said IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan."This June, for the first time, pirates fired on ships in rough seas in the Indian Ocean during the monsoon season. In the past, they would have stayed away in such difficult conditions. Masters should ...

New tactics counter the effects of a multinational naval crackdown Raid in Omani territorial waters, swarming attack on vessel point to new tactics to counter the effects of a multinational naval crackdown.Somali pirates, the bane of freighters and tankers plying routes south of the Arabian Peninsula, are adopting daring new tactics to counter the effects of a multinational naval crackdown and better-protected merchant ships.In the first-ever attack on a vessel at anchor in a country's territorial waters, armed pirates hijacked the chemical tanker Fairchem Bogey within sight the Omani port of Salaleh on August 20, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). The armed pirates boarded the ship, took its 21 crew hostage and put the vessel on course for Somalia, according to the bureau's Piracy Reporting Center.Earlier this month, at least two freighters told the IMB that the largest ever number of pirates working together had swarmed their vessels. The Neptune came under attack August 7 off the coast of Eritrea by a dozen skiffs each carrying five to eight pirates. The crew fought off the pirate armada, but 11 days later a second, an unnamed bulk carrier was nearly hijacked by a fleet of seven skiffs in the ...

A chemical tanker has become the latest vessel to be captured by Somali pirates A chemical tanker has become the latest vessel to be captured by Somali pirates. The Marshall Islands-flagged Fairchem Bogey, and its crew of 21 Indian seafarers, was seized off the Omani port of Salalah on 20 August. The vessel was actually anchored outside the port when the attack took place.The ship becomes the 19th vessel currently held by Somali pirates. According to figures compiled by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) for 18 August, before the latest hijack, Somali pirates held captive 18 vessels and 355 hostages. Hostages include seven Indian seafarers from the Asphalt Venture still held captive despite the payment of a ransom in April.Somali pirates are also reported to have made an unsuccessful attempt to hijack the Saudi-owned chemical tanker Al Balad 50 nautical miles off Oman on 21 August. Pirates also fired rocket-propelled grenade on the Greek-owned Namibia II in the security transit corridor of the Gulf of Aden on 23 August. The vessel took evasive manoeuvres and evaded capture.Concerns about the threats to shipping off the west coast of Africa have also been confirmed by the hijack of a chemical tanker by ...

60 pirates mount an unsuccessful attack on a vessel protected by armed guards Following a report filed on Sunday August 7th by the IMB Live Piracy Reporting Centre, which saw suspected Somalipirates at 13:02N 043:07E attempt to hijack a vessel off the coast of Eritrea in large numbers, Neptune MaritimeSecurity raised concerns over this apparent change of tactics.Unfortunately, it would indeed appear that pirates in the area are banding together in an attempt to 'swarm' vessels.On Thursday August 18th, the IMB Live Piracy Reporting Centre listed an attempted hijacking* on a bulk carrier underwayaround 22nm NE of Assab, Eritrea in the Red Sea at 13:16N 043:01E. Interestingly, this is approximately 26.19kmNorth of the attack on August 7th, and could suggest that this large group of pirates have a specific area of operations.The report states that seven high-speed boats suddenly approached the carrier and that each boat contained three tofive men, each armed with automatic weapons. This mirrors the previous attack of August 7th, which saw an estimated60 pirates mount an unsuccessful attack on a vessel protected by an armed security team. Even underestimating thenumber of pirates in Wednesday's attack to just 21, it would still seem to confirm that pirate ...

Recent incidents reported to the IMB's worldwide Piracy Reporting Centre Three of the largest flag states accounting for around 40 per cent of the world's commercial shipping tonnage - Liberia, Marshall Islands and Panama - have signed an agreement condemning pirate violence against seafarers.In a declaration signed in Washington, USA on 3 August, the flag states also agreed to pool information on pirate mistreatment of seafarers and provide this to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).IMB director Pottengal Mukundan commented: "This new initiative will help to publicise the human cost of piracy, which at times can go unnoticed among reports of hijacking and huge ransoms."The agreement follows the publication in June 2011 of the Human Cost of Piracy report by the Oceans Beyond Piracy working group. The report found that thousands of seafarers had been subject to pirate gunfire, beatings, confinement and, in some cases, torture.According to IMB figures for 10 August, Somali pirates continue to hold captive around 19 vessels and 377 hostages. Hostages include seven Indian seafarers from the Asphalt Venture still held captive despite the payment of a ransom in April.There are also increasing concerns about the growth of piracy off the West African coast. Benin, Nigeria and ...

The pirates are in effect using the hostages as human shields A US investigation into the death of a Taiwanese captain during a NATO anti-piracy operation off Somalia in May found that the hostage "was killed inadvertently by ordnance" by the US Navy. Wu Lai-yu was captain of the fishing vessel Jih Chun Tsai 68, which was hijacked by Somali pirates off the eastern coast of Africa on 30 March 2010 and then used as a pirate mothership.He died on 10 May 2011 during a NATO anti-piracy operation, which employed ordnance to force the vessel to stop, release hostages and surrender weapons. The pirates had returned fire with AK-47s before they surrendered. The naval boarding party found Wu dead in his sleeping quarters. He was buried with due ceremony at sea in his vessel, which was then sunk, as it was unseaworthy after the operation.The case indicates the difficulties involved in naval anti-piracy operations against captured vessels and their crew, which Somali pirates use to further their attacks on shipping. The pirates are in effect using the hostages as "human shields" to pursue further acts of piracy.The increasing brutality of the pirates has fuelled the global concern of the dangers ...

25 July 2011 24.07.2011: 0240 LT: Posn: 05:59.36N - 002:24.11E, Around 20nm south of Cotonou, BeninArmed pirates boarded a product tanker engaged in STS operations via the other tanker.They took hostage 23 crew members and hijacked the tanker to an unknown location. The ownershave beenunable to contact the tanker. Further details awaited. 292-11 22.07.2011: 0536 UTC: Posn: 13:31.7N - 042:42.2E, Around 30nm north of Assab, Eritrea, Red SeaThree skiffs with 5-6 pirates in each skiffs were noticed by a tanker underway. One of the skiff suddenly approached the tanker. Master released two flares when the skiff closed to 700 metres. The skiff doing 20 knots ignored the warning flares and continued chasing the tanker. As the skiff closed, on board security team on board fired a flare and one warning shot resulting in the skiff moving away towards the other 2 skiffs. Coalition warship was informed and a helicopter was dispatched. 291-11 23.07.2011: 0523 UTC: Posn: 13:41.3N - 042:57.4E, Around 40nm NxE of Assab, Eritrea, Red SeaPirates in two skiffs approached a container ship underway. Master raised alarm, increased speed, took evasive manoeuvres and crew activated fire hoses. The pirates chased the ship and later aborted the attempted attack. At ...