Maritime surveillance network to safeguard Indian waters

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and French agency CNES (National Centre for Space Studies) have forged an alliance to set up a network of satellites for maritime surveillance to help detect, identify and track ships in the Indian Ocean, in order to safeguard Indian waters from the unwanted attention of pirates and hostile ships.

This was revealed by Vice-Admiral Pradeep Chauhan in the course of his talk on ‘India as a Net Security Provider – Indian Ocean Region and Beyond; Maritime Security and the Blue Economy’ during the concluding session of the two-day Inmex SMM Virtual Expo, last week.

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Source: seatrade-maritime.com

EFCC Receives Four Suspected Oil Thieves From Navy

The Nigerian Navy has handed over four suspected oil thieves to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Rivers State.

They are Ebenezer Afonka (captain), Bernard Umor (engineer), Kingsley Monday, and Ishmael Willy, the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed in a statement. The Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the anti-graft agency received the suspects from the navy on Tuesday alongside a vessel – MV Captain Samuel.

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Source: channelstv.com

Eight days after failed negotiation, three crew members kidnapped on-board Lagos-bound vessel

By Tola Adenubi

Suspected maritime pirates have kidnapped three crew members from a Lagos bound Togolese flagged bunkering vessel, MT STELIOS K with IMO number 8679209, following failed negotiations for their release with the vessel owners over a period of eight days. This is even as findings revealed that the Nigerian Navy has dispatched a vessel to locate the whereabouts of the vessel.

Suspected pirates had boarded the MT STELIOS K on the 16 of November 2020 at exactly 40 nautical miles South Lome.

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Source: tribuneonlineng.com

MarsecNews: Note On Monday 23rd, MDAT-GoG updated their previous reports with the below (image shows last position):

WARNING 006/NOV/2020 – UPDATE 08

1. CATEGORY: BOARDING

2. TIME: 23 Nov 2020 at 0900UTC.

3. DESCRIPTION: MDAT GoG has received an update regarding the last position of the boarded MT. The attackers have left the MT. The ship is heading to Lagos, Nigeria. Local authorities have been informed.

4. POSITION: 05°19N – 003°33E (170/65NM off Lagos Nigeria).

Hostages snatched from Sabah unhurt in latest skirmish between Abu Sayyaf and Philippines military

By MUGUNTAN VANAR

KOTA KINABALU: Four Indonesian hostages abducted from Sabah earlier this year are unhurt as their Abu Sayyaf captors clashed with pursuing Philippines military forces in Jolo.

Regional intelligence sources said the gunmen managed to escape the pursuing Philippines marines who killed Abu Sayyaf sub-leaders Hatib Munap and Sansibar Bencio during the gunfight at Panamao in the southern Philippines island of Jolo on Friday (Nov 20).

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Source: thestar.com.my

Six Foreigners, Nigerian Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Oil Theft

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced six foreigners and a Nigerian to seven years imprisonment for oil theft.

Justice Kolawole Omotosho gave the sentence yesterday (Mon 23rd) after three years of prosecution of the convicts by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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Source: thisdaylive.com

FG to Commence $195m Maritime Security Project Q1 2021

Eromosele Abiodun

The federal government has disclosed that barring any unforeseen circumstance, the $195 million Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also called the Deep Blue Project, which has suffered many delays will commence in the first quarter of next year.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi announced this during an inspection of some of the Deep Blue Project equipment in Lagos at the weekend.

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Source: thisdaylive.com

Special Report on Incidents against ships in the Singapore Strait

The ReCAAP has released a new report (Nov. 23rd) regarding ongoing attacks against shipping in the Singapore Strait. There have been a number of armed robberies in recent weeks.

Since 2019 through 2020, there is a sharp increase in the number of incidents of robbery and theft against ships while underway in the Singapore Strait (SS), compared to the period of 2016-2018. In 2019, 31 incidents were reported, and 33 incidents were reported in 2020 as of 20 Nov. The number of incidents during January-November 2020 accounts for an increase of 43% compared to January-November 2019 (23 incidents).

Although the majority of the 33 incidents reported during January-November 2020 were at a low level of severity [CAT 4 incidents where the perpetrators were not armed and the crew not harmed], the ReCAAP ISC is seriously concerned with the continued occurrence of incidents in the SS. In some incidents, perpetrators were persistent in committing crime by boarding two ships in a row within a short interval and in close proximity.

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Source: recaap.org

ESSCom forms task force against robbery at sea

LAHAD DATU, Nov 17 — The Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) have set up a taskforce team to eradicate robberies at sea which are taking place in the waters of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).

ESSCom commander, Datuk Ahmad Fuad Othman said a special operation was also mobilised in line with the setting up of the team.

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Source: malaymail.com

Pirates kidnap five Ghanaians in Niger Delta

By Tola Adenubi

Suspected maritime pirates on Monday kidnapped five Ghanaians from the Ghanaian flagged general cargo vessel AM DELTA with IMO number 9015929 at 35 nautical miles off the Agbano Terminals in the Niger Delta area.

In an advisory notice issued on Monday to nearby vessels by both the United Kingdom-based maritime consultancy firm, Dryad Global, and the Italian maritime consultancy firm, Praesidium International; the Ghanaian flagged vessel was boarded by six to seven pirates on the 16th of November 2020 at 44 nautical miles South Brass.

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Source: tribuneonlineng.com

Pirates Abduct 14 Seafarers From Heavy Lift Ship in Gulf of Guinea

On Friday, 14 crewmembers were kidnapped from a Chinese heavy-lift ship off the coast of Sao Tome.

According to security consultancy Dryad Global, the heavy lift ship Zhen Hua 7 was boarded by pirates at a position about 80 nm to the northeast of Sao Tome, in the Gulf of Guinea. The ship was drifting at the time of the boarding. 14 out of her 27 crewmembers were kidnapped, and all of the victims are Chinese nationals, according to Dryad.

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Source: maritime-executive.com