In its weekly piracy report for 10-16 July 2018, ReCAAP ISC informed of three incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia.
The first incident involved the LNG tanker ‘Innovator’. While anchored at Delta Anchorage Area Banuan, Batangas, Philippines, on 6 July, perpetrators boarded the ship, store ship stores and escaped. The duty watch alerted the master who sounded the general alarm and mustered the crew.
The hawse pipe was slightly moved and the crew suspected that the perpetrators had climbed through the anchor chain. The master reported the incident to VTMS Batangas. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted an investigation and advised the master to take precautionary measures while anchored at Batangas Port.
The second incident involved the tug boat ‘Bintang Ocean 3’ and the barge ‘Winbuild 2313’, approximately 3.8 nm northeast of Tanjung Sengkuang, Pulau Batam, Indonesia, in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait, on 7 July.
While tug boat, Bintang Ocean 3 towing barge, Winbuild 2313 was underway, Singapore Police Coast Guard reported to Singapore Port Operations Control Centre (POCC) at 0130 hrs that two sampans were spotted alongside Winbuild 2313. The VTIS Central contacted the tug boat and the master replied that everything was fine. At about 0320 hrs, the Singapore Police Coast Guard again reported to POCC that the two same sampans were still following at the stern of Winbuild 2313. At about 0325 hrs, the tug master reported to VTIS East that four coils of tow line were missing from Winbuild 2313.
Upon arrival at Changi Barge Holding Anchorage on the same day at about 0800 hrs, the Singapore Police Coast Guard boarded the ships and conducted an investigation. The crew was not injured.
The third incident involved the product tanker ‘Maersk Cancun’, on 10 July. While at berth at Sandakan Port, East Malaysia, an unknown number of perpetrators boarded the ship, stole ship stores and escaped. The deck watch crew later discovered that the forepeak store locker padlock was broken.
Upon checking, a ship’s bell, a coil of heaving line and two bicycles were found missing. The agent and PFSO were informed and thereafter, the local police conducted an investigation and took a statement from the Chief Officer. The crew was not injured.
The ReCAAP ISC urges ship master and crew to report all incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships to the nearest coastal State and flag State, exercise vigilance and adopt relevant preventive measures taking reference from the Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.
