Tag: IMB

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 ...

The speed boat followed the tanker and finally the speed boat aborted the attempt The INTERNATIONAL MARITIME BUREAU (IMB) has issued the following warning:On 19 July 2011 at 2035 LT in position 0832S - 01218E, 60 NM of Luanda, Angola, a tanker underway was chased by a speed boat that tried to approach to the tankers port side. The tanker took evasive manoeuvres and increased speed to maximum. The speed boat followed the tanker and finally at 2155 LT the speed boat aborted the attempt.Vessels are warned that if passing through this area they are to exercise extreme caution. This area will remain high risk for the next 24-48 hours. The Maritime Administrator would take this opportunity to again urge all vessels operating in High Risk Areas to actively implement appropriate recommended Best Management Practices for anti-piracy measures as follows:Continue to maintain a heightened state of awareness; Maintain strict 24 hour anti-piracy visual and radar watches; and Report all attacks and suspicious sightings to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre ([email protected], +603-2031-0014).Source: IMB

11 July 2011 9.07.2011: 2140 UTC: Posn: 09:06.0N - 014:06.3E, Conakry, GuineaPirates in a motor boat approached a drifting bulk carrier. The duty officer noticed the approaching boat and raised the alarm and the crew mustered. The pirates fired machine guns and RPG at the vessel and moved away. The vessel proceeded further out to sea. 06.07.2011: 0023 UTC: Posn: 12:29N - 044:44E: around 20nm SW of Aden, Gulf of AdenSeven pirates boarded a tanker which had stopped. It was later reported that the pirates had left the vessel due to a possible fire on board the vessel. Due to the fire the crew abandoned the vessel and were rescued by a nearby coalition naval vessel. 04.07.2011: 0415 LT: Posn: 06:05.9S - 106:53.0E, Tg. Priok port, Jakarta, Indonesia Three robbers armed with knives boarded a berthed bulk carrier during discharging operations via the shore side cargo net. Duty crew noticed the robbers near the forward store and informed the D/O who raised the alarm. The duty crew tried to stop the robbers from stealing, but were threatened with a knife. The robbers lowered the stolen properties into a small boat on the sea side and escaped. 01.07.2011: 2341 LT: Posn: ...

A number of suspect transactions for scrap metal The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has uncovered a number of suspect transactions for scrap metal.The Bureau has identified a number of purported shipments of Heavy Melting Scrap (HMS) which, upon closer scrutiny, appear not to have taken place at all. The documents represented containerised cargoes of HMS allegedly shipped, by an Austrian beneficiary, from a northern Italian port to various ports in Asia. IMB enquiries quickly established that although the nominated vessels were at the port at the stated time of loading and the containers as per B/L are in existence, the said cargoes were not loaded as.IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: "These transactions were supported by a very convincing set of documents, which on first glance appear to be genuine. Furthermore, the vessels named on all of the Bills of Lading were all in the ports of loading at the stated time- which suggests a degree of familiarity with the local trade. IMB was able to use third-party sources to establish that these shipments had, in fact, never taken place."All of the suspect transactions have included Bills of Lading issued by the same NVOCC. The NVOCC had a website that ...

According to reports from the International Maritime Bureau The twice-yearly monsoon seasons in the Indian Ocean no longer appear to be a deterrent to Somali pirate activity, according to reports from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), although they continue to affect the seasonal pattern of piracy and location of attacks.The IMB, which monitors piracy worldwide through its Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC), notes that although there was no reported piracy in the Indian Ocean during last summers monsoon season of June to August, there have been recent reports of pirate attacks on three vessels in the Indian Ocean during very rough seas approximately 450 nautical miles east of Socotra island, Yemen. Winds were reported to be force 7 with sea swells of approximately 4.5 metres. These are not normally conditions conducive to launching attacks from small attack skiffs, the IMB comments.In preparation for the monsoon seasons, Somali pirates usually turn to calmer waters. In recent weeks there have been an increasing number of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea 11 since 20 May.Despite the continuing attacks, the IMB notes that the pirates now have a poorer success rate, with the number of hijacks falling from one in four and a ...

Recent attacks seem to involve a greater degree of violence against crew There have been eight attacks in total off Cotonou, Benin, so far in 2011 with six taking place since May this year.Of the eight attacks, four vessels were hijacked and twoboarded by pirates who robbed ship and crew property and in some cases cargo.The most recent attack took place on a Greek-owned tanker on 16 June 2011.On 14 June 2011, heavily-armed pirates hijacked another Greek tanker as it lay off Cotonou. It was forced to sail to an unknown location and ship's and crew property was stolen before she was abandoned.IMB-PRC Manager Noel Choong commented: "The most recent attack was the eighth we have seen in recent weeks. Attacks are increasing off Cotonou and the pirates are violent, often injuring crewmembers. It is important that local authorities step up patrols to curb this problem."Worldwide, there have been 248 attacks so far in 2011 with 28 vessels hijacked. The waters off Somalia continues to remain the most piracy-prone area but the risk to crews and shipping off Nigeria and its neighbouring states is remains high as well. Especially since incidents are not reported.Mr Choong continued: "These attacks off West ...

Greek-owned oil tanker is believed to have come under attack since Wendesday A global maritime watchdog on Thursday warned ships to be vigilant when travelling past Benin following a spate of piracy attacks off the west African country.Noel Choong, head of the Kuala Lumpur-based piracy reporting centre of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), said a Greek-owned oil tanker lost communication Wednesday off Benin and was believed to have come under attack."The latest would be the eighth attack in recent weeks," Choong told AFP."It's considered serious."Choong said his centre had contacted authorities in Benin and neighbouring Nigeria to beef up security and was warning ships travelling in those waters.On June 8, heavily armed pirates hijacked another Greek tanker as it lay at anchor off Cotonou in Benin.They forced it to sail to an unknown location, ransacked property and some of its cargo, and then abandoned the ship."Attacks are increasing off Cotonou, Benin. Pirates are violent and some crew members were injured during the attacks recently," the IMB's reporting centre said.Last month, a Philippine seaman was found dead on board his chemical tanker, four days after the ship was attacked by pirates off Benin.Hundreds of pirate attacks, especially off Somalia in east ...

26 ships and 522 seafarers still held hostage by pirates In light of the growing number of attacks on shipping by pirates, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants has issued the following statement entitled:'Piracy and seafarers: a human crisis'.Recent reports in the media, about the plight of seafarers seized by pirates, has placed the tragic reality of piracy into the spotlight once more.Already last February in the meeting of the Regional Coordinators of the Apostleship of the Sea organized by this Pontifical Council it was emphasized that piracy had reached its historical peak in 2010 with 445 attacks, 53 vessels seized and 1,181 seafarers captured.To date, this phenomenon doesnt show any signs of decreasing given that 214 new episodes have been reported, with 26 ships and 522 seafarers still held hostage by pirates (IMB Piracy Reporting Centre).Even though the majority of attacks were recorded off the coast of Somalia, as a matter of fact, piracy remains a worldwide challenge that requires a global response, as the illusion of easy and immediate money has also attracted the interest of international criminal organizations.The maritime world has responded by adopting several measures to protect vessels and their cargoes. ...

Ship owners face higher costs- additional insurance and protection measures Escalating piracy along the east coast of Africa was having a "material" effect on the costs of shipping companies operating in the region, according to Grindrod CEO Alan Olivier.He said in an interview after the annual shareholders meeting in Durban on Wednesday that acts of piracy had escalated sharply in the first half of this year. There were 97 attacks off Somalia in the first three months of this year, compared with only 35 at the same time last year, according to the website of the International Maritime Bureau.He said ship owners faced higher costs as a result. These included additional insurance, the cost of better management practices, higher costs of bunkers and days at sea due to route deviations, and increased capital expenditure such as for secure rooms on vessels and additional security."Some owners dont want to trade in these areas. If there is an incentive for them to trade there, this also pushes up costs." A Grindrod vessel was shot at 18 months ago. Although there were many international navies present in the waters off East Africa, "they are hamstrung on the action they are allowed to take", ...