Tag: maritime piracy

For the deaths of the yatch crew After cruising the high seas for nine days, a young crew of Somali and Yemeni pirates spotted a U.S.-flagged yacht and boarded the vessel unbeknownst to its sleeping passengers in the hopes of cashing in on a big ransom, according to a court statement of facts.But the February hijacking went awry when the men allegedly opened fire on the yachts four American passengers amid a standoff with U.S. Navy ships more than 400 miles off the coast of Oman.On Tuesday, two men involved in the incident pleaded guilty to acts of piracy in a Norfolk, Virginia, federal court.A 22-year-old man named Said Abdi Fooley said he had been looking for a job and joined the group, carrying a semiautomatic assault rifle during the hijacking, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Norfolk.The other man, Abdi Jama Aqid, said he had hoped to net between $70,000 and $80,000 a fortune in Somalia, a poverty-stricken east African country for a job that involved spotting potential targets for his pirate crew.According to court documents, the groups financier was expected to receive 35% of any bounty paid, while the rest of the money would go to the ...

Attacked by a speedboat carrying seven armed pirates The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy warships have saved the Iranian oil-tanker, Damavand, from a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden. Damavand was attacked by a speedboat carrying seven armed pirates while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, Fars News Agency reported.In their 11th confrontation with pirates this year, Iran's Navy forces thwarted the attack through their speedy action and effective use of firepower. As a result of the conflict, all pirates fled and the Iranian tanker Damavand resumed its journey in complete safety.Iran has recently stepped up efforts to combat piracy in the unstable areas of the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa, and secure its commercial vessels through their journeys throughout regional waters.The Gulf of Aden -- which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea -- is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West through the Suez Canal.Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has also voiced Iran's readiness to protect foreign ships likely to fall victim to pirate attacks in piracy-stricken international waters.Iran's Navy fleets have escorted almost 1,000 Iranian commercial ships ...

In 2010, the economic cost of piracy estimated $7-12 billion In 2010, the economic cost of maritime piracy on the supply chain was estimated to be $7-12 billion, said the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) quoting the One Earth Foundation. Piracy is a concern to any industry having to navigate through the Gulf of Aden to deliver goods by water, said the ICC, a global representative body that speaks on behalf of enterprises from all sectors in every part of the world.For India, piracy is a serious issue as a large number of Indian seafarers work on board foreign ships that pass through the Somalia coast every day. In January, India voiced its concern on the increasing piracy at the United Nations, and proposed a five-point plan, including tracking the trail of ransom money, to curb piracy.The Union Minister of Shipping, Mr G.K. Vasan, at the Maritime Summit 2011 at Oslo on Tuesday too highlighted India's concerns about increasing incidents of piracy and the need for concerted unified action under the UN. Ministers from 10 other countries also participated in the Summit.Increasing attacksThe past year has witnessed an escalation in both violence and the number of attacks on ships and ...

The Pirate Patrols

Call for immediate action on piracy In a call for immediate action on piracy, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) yesterday urged governments to take action against the increasing number of pirate attacks occurring off the Somali coast. The Call for Action was launched at the annual International Transport Forum taking place in Leipzig, Germany from 25-27 May.The past year has witnessed an escalation in both violence and the number of attacks on ships and their crew. According to the ICC International Maritime Bureau, there were 219 attacks in 2010 off Somalia, in which 49 vessels were hijacked and 1,016 crew members taken hostage.Despite measures taken by the United Nations Security Council and the presence of naval units in the area of the Gulf of Aden, pirates continue to strike. More and more shipowners have had to resort to using private security firms to protect their seafarers and ships.In 2010, the One Earth Foundation estimated the economic cost of piracy on the supply chain to be between US$7-12 billion. "This is of great concern to any industry having to navigate through the Gulf of Aden to deliver goods by water," ICC said.Prepared by the ICC Commission on Transport and Logistics, ...

On board Ships in the high risk area The Republic of Liberia issued Maritime Security Advisory 03/2011 for interim IMO Guidance.The International Maritime Organizations Maritime Safety Committee approved interim guidance on the employment of privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP) on board ships transiting the high-risk piracy area off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean at its 89th session in May 2011.The IMO interim guidance is largely based on guidance on the use of armed security guard services developed by the Liberian Registry for its shipowners, ship operators, and shipmasters. The Liberian Registry submitted its guidance to IMO recommending IMO develop international guidelines.For further information, click here.Source: The Republic of Liberia

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", ...

Until 26 May 2011 During the reporting period (20 - 26 May 2011) piracy activities continued throughout the AOR. Although no successful act of piracy has been committed, there have been two attacks, one approach and one suspicious incident in total.Two attacks and one approach were reported in the Southern Red Sea (SRS)/Bab El Mendeb (BAM).It is assessed that with the onset of the South Westerly monsoon the piracy activities within the SRS/BAM may increase as it did between June and August last year. Pirates are currently assessed to be operating within the SRS/BAM area and may be blending into local fishing activity/traffic. Within the Gulf Of Aden (GOA) it is assessed that sporadic acts of piracy will continue in this area.One attack and suspicious incident were reported within the Arabian Sea. It is assessed that a probable dhow PAG is operating within area 10 and 20N and 60 and 65E. FV PRANATALAY 12 is still considered under pirate control and has not been released yet, however she is considered no longer seaworthy. Gulf of Aden/Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC)Although no incidents were observed in the central GOA within the past week, we continue to assess that the IRTC continues ...

Seized about US$3.5 million The Somali government security forces seized almost US$3.5 million and arrested a number of foreigners at Mogadishu airport as they tried to transfer the money meant for pirates in the centre of the country, Xinhua news agency reported an official as saying.Two small planes carrying the money and foreigners of different nationalities landed at the main airport in the capital Mogadishu where the Somali security forces impounded the planes and the cash and detained the crew and passengers on the aircraft, said a Somali security official who sought anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the incident.It was not immediately clear where the planes came from and what the nationalities of those arrested were as the authorities still remain tight-lipped on the raid.However, reports say that the detained included some American, British and Kenyan nationalities.The Somali government has always been opposed to the paying of ransom payouts to local pirates who mostly operate in central and eastern parts of the war-ravaged country.Somali government officials maintain that the millions of dollars given to pirates only fuel the menace and called on international community to help its forces deal with pirate problem on land.Pirate gangs have ...

Crusial decision as piracy incidents increase The Indian Government has decided to allow deployment of armed guards preferably retired naval officers on board Indian cargo vessels sailing on the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean, a top government official told Business Line.Detailed guidelines on the number of guards that each vessel can have will be issued shortly, he said. In the wake of rising incidents of piracy on the high seas, Indian shipping lines have been seeking government permission to deploy armed guards on board their ships.The plan is to give preference to retired naval officers, said the official who has just returned from the meeting of the Intentional Maritime Organisation (IMO) which discussed the guidelines on allowing armed guard on board the merchant ships. The Maritime Safety Committee of IMO has endorsed the use of armed guards.Draft guidelinesIn India, the proposal under consideration is to seek retired navy officers from the pool maintained by the Directorate of Resettlement under the Ministry of Defence. Each vessel can have a group of five armed personnel one officer and four others. The shipping companies have to bear the cost of hiring the guards.A draft guidelines prepared by the director general of shipping ...