Tag: maritime piracy

Red Sea Navigation's 17,000-dwt Suez is expected to be freed Red Sea Navigation's 17,000-dwt Suez (built 1984) is expected to be freed after a payment was parachuted onto the vesel's deck today, multiple sources suggest.Attention is now focussed on the fate of the 11 Indian crew on board given recent hostility between pirates and the Indian government.Only last month the war with piracy experienced a game-changer after a gang released a Norwegian tanker but kept hold of seven Indian crew members despite receiving a ransom for the 3,800-dwt Asphalt Venture (built 1991). The non-Indian crew was freed.Pirates have been holding the Suez for around 10 months after seizing it in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel was formerly part of the Greek Oceanstar fleet.The Suez was the second Red Sea Navigation vessel to be hijacked in two years when it was snatched in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) last August.There are understood to be a total of 23 seafarers on board, including nationals from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.There is no word yet as to how much cash was dropped onto the ship to secure release.Source: Tradewinds

Marine Safety Advisory No.64-11 The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) has issued the following advisory: A merchant vessel reported coming under fire at 1156Z on 17 May in position 09:24S-040:44E 44nm east of Kiswere, Tanzania along the Somali Basin. This area will remain high risk for at least the next 24-48 hours.For further information, click hereSource: Republic of the Marshall Islands

The pirate patrols

Pirates intended to attack the Dandle with light weapons and RPG's from different sides The Iranian Navy has thwarted an attempt by pirates to hijack a Maltese-flagged cargo ship on its way to Iran in the Sea of Oman. The Iranian Naval forces saved the "Dandle" cargo ship when it was attacked by four speedboats of pirates, said Deputy Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Gholam-Reza Khadem Bigham.The Iranian Navy commander added that the pirates intended to attack the Dandle with light weapons and RPG's from different sides but given the vigilance of the Iranian fleet, they were forced to flee, a statement by the Iranian Navy said.Saturday's incident brings to 10 the number of the Iranian Navy's confrontations with Somali pirates since the start of the new Persian Year on March 21.Rear Admiral Bigham also said that, following the Iranian Navy's successful attempts in fighting piracy, the Navy has increased the number of its forces in the northern Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. Earlier, Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced that Iran's Navy is ready to provide protection for foreign ships that may be targeted by pirates in international waters.He stressed that all Iranian and foreign ...

A total of 13 incidents of piracy and armed robbery reported Normal 0 false false false EL X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre issued its Report for April 2011. During the month, a total of 13 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia.Of these, eleven were actual incidents and two were attempted incidents. This was a decrease from the total number of incidents reported in April 2010 (16),but an increase from the number reported in April 2009 (8).To view the Report, press hereSource: ReCAAP

Measures to enhance Maritime Security Working Group 1 "Measures to enhance Maritime Security - Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships" has been working on the following report items:1. Development of the Maritime Security Manual.2. Consideration of Periodical Survey to Ship Security Alert System (SSAS).3. Guidelines for flag states and other authorities to assist investigators to collect evidence after hijack.4. Development of guidance to ship owners, ship operators and shipmasters on the use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) on board ships.5. Implementation of counter-piracy measures, including Best Management Practices (BMP).The Chairman of Working Group 1, Arsenio Dominguez, presents the finished report to the plenary meeting of the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 89) on the last day of its 11-20 May meetings.Of particular interest will be the drafting of "Guidance to ship owners, ship operators and shipmasters on the use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) on board ships".This document has been developed by the IMO in conjunction with reference documents which included the document submitted by the industry - "Industry Guidelines for the use of Private Maritime Security Contractors (PMSC) as Additional Protection in waters affected by Somali Piracy (May 2011)", which was submitted as MSC 89/J/5.To ...

Will be held in Seychelles, from September 6-9. The Republic of Seychelles, in collaboration with the South Asia and Africa Regional Port Stability Cooperative (SAARPSCO), is honored to invite you to attend the global Anti-piracy, Maritime Security and International Maritime Information Sharing Conference to be held in Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles, from September 6-9.The Republic of Seychelles is an island country consisting of a magnificent archipelago of 115 islands nestled in the Indian Ocean. SAARPSCO is headquartered in The Seychelles on the main island of Mahe.The Seychelles has made impressive strides in identifying, thwarting and prosecuting captured pirates, and has forged commanding alliances with her steadfast international partners to defeat this menace. The Seychelles is rapidly becoming a world leader in combating piracy, and is uniquely qualified to host such a timely and compelling conference.Our purpose is clear and imperative: We are tasked with defending the international maritime community by launching robust programs to combat piracy, fortify port security, safeguard the oceanic environment, and ease conditions for international commerce on our waterways.As our guest, you will be meeting with global maritime, government, business, security, technical and legal stakeholders who will address the threat of piracy to the sea trade, especially the ...

To combat the illicit flows of money linked to Somali piracy During this week BIMCO is meeting with national and international experts in organised crime, financial intelligence and financial services to explore options for combating the illicit flows of money inextricably linked to Somali piracy.Chaired by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime and held in East Africa, the meetings constitute an important forum for BIMCO to be part of to help ensure that the interests of ship owners - and not least seafarers - are properly reflected when financial counter-piracy strategies are discussed.BIMCO would emphasise that from a ship owner's perspective, the safety of the crew should always take precedence over co-operation with law enforcement agencies during and after a hijack.Maritime piracy has drastically transformed itself from an outmoded, criminal activity, crafted by generations of authors and film makers into romantic legends, to a serious threat to global human and economic security. One of the driving forces behind this rapid expansion - both in terms of piracy attacks and the associated financial flows - has been the large ransoms.The phenomenon has now evolved, however, and is no longer the province of amateurs.The increasing sophistication and organization that pirate ...

The ship came under attack on Monday by four armed pirates in a skiff The 306,500-dwt Artemis Glory(built 2006) came under attacked at about 06:35 GMT on Monday whilst sailing south east through the Gulf of Oman.A UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship is said to received a mayday call from the VLCC, which was relayed to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) in Dubai.UKMTO confirmed with the master of the Artemis Glory that she was being pursued by a skiff with four men on board who were firing upon the vessel.The US Navy destroyer USS Bulkeley then responded to the mayday and launched her helicopter to investigate the incident.The helicopter observed the Artemis Glory under attack by four individuals in a skiff, who were firing upon the ship with small arms, the US Navy confirmed.Under the principle of extended unit self defence and in order to provide protection to the crew of the Artemis Glory, Bulkeleys helicopter engaged the pirates. All of the pirates are believed to have been killed.The Panama-flagged VLCC was on route from Saudi Arabia to China with a cargo of crude. None of its 23 crew were injured in the attack.In March the USS Bulkeley was ...

Found four days after it was attacked by pirates at the coast of Benin The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported yesterday that a Filipino seafarer was found dead aboard a Marshall Island-flagged ship, four days after it was attacked by pirates at the coast of Benin.The DFA said Filipino seaman Christopher Cortez Ceprado was found dead on May 11 after his vessel, chemical tanker MT Sea King, was seized by pirates on May 7. The vessel is manned by a crew of 17 Filipinos.The pirates ransacked the vessels equipment, as well as the personal belongings of the crew onboard.Ceprados remains was brought to the mortuary in Cotonou for autopsy.The Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) is in close coordination with the local manning agency on the repatriation of Ceprado here.It has also instructed the Philippine Embassy in Abuja to coordinate with authorities on the investigation of the incident.Source: PhilSTAR