Tag: maritime piracy

Australia helps tackle piracy in the Indian Ocean Australia is to provide another $2 million to help tackle piracy in the Indian Ocean. Foreign Minister Bob Carr said Australia would also extend the secondment of an Australian Federal Police officer to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).Senator Carr said Somali piracy in the Indian Ocean was a serious international threat.As of late May this year, 13 vessels and about 280 crew members were being held hostage by Somali pirates who had demanded ransoms of millions of dollars."Pirate groups move regularly and use hostages and locals as human shields to protect themselves and extract ransom payments," he said in a statement."This puts Australians at risk, including seafarers crewing foreign-owned ships or Australian tourists on pleasure craft or cruise ships. It impacts on international trade and tourism and undermines regional development efforts."Senator Carr said since 2009 Australia had been supporting the UNODC with funding from AusAID to build the capacity of states in the Indian Ocean region to detain and prosecute piracy suspects.This work has so far delivered 18 trials and 14 cases involving about 260 suspects.He said the additional $2 million would further strengthen the rule of law ...

Second Officer Bokhari During a hijacking that lasted 51 days, life on board ship for Second Officer Bokhari was "like a hell." Because of the conditions in which he was forced to live, he lost all his hair. Many victims of piracy continue to experience physical and mental effects long after attacks.

Captain Itma was Managing Director of Global West Vessel Specialist Limited Captain Romeo Itima has been killed by suspected sea pirates on Tuesday. Captain Itma was Managing Director of Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, an oil bunkering surveillance company owned by ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.The company was contracted by the Federal Government to provide security and monitor the nation's coastal waters against oil thieves.It was gathered that master mariner, Itima, who was in pursuit of oil thieves in Escravos , area of Warri Pilotage District, was killed by suspected sea pirates on Tuesday.A source told Vanguard, "The team from Global West Vessel Specialist did not know that they were sea pirates in the ship and were approaching the vessel in the course of their duty, when the pirates opened fire on them."Itima did not die immediately, as the company's boat was bullet proof, but the pirates shattered the windscreen of the boat, which forced them to make a detour and crashed into stone breaker. Unfortunately, there was rough tide at that time, which swept away the boat and caused his death," the source said.The family in a statement by Captain Winifred Itima, said, "His death occurred during an ...

Any armed attack on a U.S. vessel can be considered piracy After a federal appeals court ruled that an armed attack on a U.S. vessel can be considered piracy even if no one boards or robs the ship, five Somali men are again facing piracy charges.The men originally had the piracy charges dismissed by a federal judge because they never boarded or robbed the USS Ashland.The men previously pleaded innocent, arguing they were ferrying refugees when they came upon the ship in the Gulf of Aden in 2010.A federal grand jury returned an indictment with the new charges Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney's Office says the new indictment adds allegations that three of the defendants also went to sea to capture another vessel but were intercepted by the Royal Navy.If convicted, they face a mandatory life sentence.Source: Washington Post

There has been no successful hijack since June 19 Pirate attacks off Somalia dropped to zero for the first full month since the menace emerged more than five years ago, new figures show.There has been no successful hijack since June 19, when a fishing dhow was seized, and no ship has been fired upon or a boarding attempted since June 26, when a Maltese-flagged cargo ship was attacked, according to data from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).It marks the longest unbroken stretch of peaceful transit through the waters offSomalia, and was attributed to the increased use of armed guards on ships, international naval patrols, and bad weather."This is traditionally a quiet time for pirate attacks, but there has always been at least a handful of incidences even during the monsoon months of July and August," said Cyrus Mody at the IMB's London office."However since June 26 this year, we have seen no activity whatsoever in the southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Arabia or the Somali Basin."It's the first time we've had a full month where nothing's happened since before Somali piracy really grew into a major problem in 2007."The pirates' temporary disappearance comes on the ...

Captain Sellathurai Mahalingam speaks As Captain, Sellathurai walked a fine line when protecting his crew during a pirate attack and subsequent hostage situation. Despite months of torture and mistreatment, he remains a ship captain to this day but navigates as far from the Somali coast as he can.

By the International Maritime Bureau 200-12 06.08.2012: 0230 LT: Jakarta Anchorage, IndonesiaFour robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier. They broke open the aft store and stole ship's property. Duty O/S spotted the robbers, raised alarm and ran after the robbers. While the O/S was grappling with two of the robbers, the other two robbers jumped into the water with the stolen ship property. On seeing the other crew approaching, the remaining two robbers jumped into the water and escaped with their accomplices.199-12 21.07.2012: 0540 LT: Posn: 31:09N - 029:48E, El Dekheila Port, EgyptSix robbers in two boats approached a berthed bulk carrier from fore and aft during cargo operations. Without boarding the ship, the robbers were able to cut away and escape with two head and stern line eyes. Luckily vessel remained alongside and the crew was able to re moor the vessel.Port authority informed.198-12 30.07.2012: 0140 LT: Posn: 06:02.5N - 001:16.5E, Lome Anchorage, TogoFive robbers in a wooden boat approached an anchored chemical tanker. Alarm raised, crew mustered in the citadel and Togo navy notified. The robbers aborted the attempt and moved away upon seeing the navy patrol boat approaching. Later at 0312 LT, another two boats with 16 ...

United Nations is concerned The United Nations is concerned that member states are failing to uphold the arms embargo on Somalia by allowing private security companies (PSCs) to operate in the country. South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates were singled out in a UN report.In its Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, the United Nations said that the provision of security assistance, in the absence of UN authorisation, "constitutes a violation of the general and complete arms embargo on Somalia." It added that the Monitoring Group was concerned that member states "routinely fail to fulfil their obligations" which require them to prevent "the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of weapons and military equipment and the direct or indirect supply of technical assistance or training, financial or other assistance" to Somalia.The report highlights several of the numerous security companies operating in Somalia, notably Sterling Corporate Services/Saracen International Lebanon. In late 2011, the assets, personnel and operations of Saracen International Lebanon were transferred to Sterling Corporate Services (SCS), reportedly a Dubai registered company, which resumed large-scale military training, technical assistance and support to the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF)."Established in May 2010, with the ...

Each in prison for hijacking Sri-Lanka fishing trawler almost three years ago A Kenyan court on Wednesday sentenced seven Somali pirates to 20 years each in prison for hijacking Sri-Lanka fishing trawler almost three years ago.The suspects - Barre Ali Farah, Abdi Mohammed, Ali Hussein Hassan, Abdulkarim Nur Shire, Bashir Mohammed Ehmi, Abdulrazak Abdullahi Ali and Abdulfaruk Hussein Ali - sat pensively in a Mombasa court as the interpreter read them their sentence.Mombasa's Senior Resident Magistrate Joyce Gandani who made the ruling noted that piracy was on the rise and that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others intending to commit similar offenses."I have considered the mitigation by your lawyer on Monday. However the court takes note that piracy has been on the increase in the international seas," said Gandani."The act of piracy has adversely affected the security and the trade of not only our country but the entire region," the magistrate ruled.The magistrate in her ruling also considered the four years the pirates had been remanded at Shimo la Tewa prison in Mombasa.The pirates were arrested in October 2009 off the Gulf of Aden by Danish Naval Forces after they attempted to hijack a Sri-Lankan fishing trawler ...

Insight with Colin Freeman In late 2008, Daily Telegraph correspondent Colin Freeman and Jose Cendon, a Spanish photographer travelled to Somalia to investigate the recent spate of piracy attacks that were terrorising shipping in the Gulf of Aden. Their aim was to track down some of the pirates and secure an exclusive interview.They were double crossed by their body guards and what followed was a nightmare 40 days in captivity. Force-marched into the desolate hills they were held in a succession of caves by a gang of armed men, all paranoically high on the amphetamine-like local plant, khat. The gang's hideout was attacked by rival pirates, Freeman was subjected to mock execution by one of his captors and the threat of being handed over to Islamists who would undoubtedly execute him was constant lingering fear.Colin Freeman, who is now chief foreign correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph will be joining us at the Frontline Club to discuss his new book Kidnapped: Life as a Somali pirate hostage in which he recalls the experience.Chaired by Inigo Gilmore, award winning journalist and filmmaker who has worked across the world, with extensive experience in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He won the Royal ...