Trilateral exercises in the Philippine Sea

Australia, Japan and the US are currently conducting a trilateral passage in the Philippine Sea on the way to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) in Hawaii.

An ADF Joint Task Group has joined the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Akizuki-class destroyer JS Teruzuki.

With HMA Ships Canberra, Hobart, Stuart, Arunta and Sirius taking part, the activity includes replenishment at sea, aviation operations, maritime manoeuvres and communications drills.

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Source: australiandefence.com.au

Diplomacy: Malabo and Yaounde strengthen cross-border security

A new page opens in Equatorial Guinea-Cameroon cooperation. By paraphrasing the document of a common strategy to protect their populations on both sides of the 189 km border between them, the two countries commit to blocking the way for the illegal movement of people and the invasion of the enemies of peace. But also to ensure the maritime surveillance that often serves as a gateway for maritime pirates.

Content of the final release

After two days of consultations, the Guinean and Cameroonian delegations decided to strengthen defence and security strategies at the common borders. They also agreed that the principles of:
National sovereignty,
Non-interference in the internal affairs of each country,
Prohibition of the threat or use of force and peaceful settlement of conflicts.

All things that support the two-day talks in Malabo and two more in Yaounde, on June 29 and 30, 2020.

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Source: crtv.cm

UNODC, EU pledge support to Nigeria, others over maritime crimes

By Bola Olajuwon

The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have pledged their continued support to strengthening the criminal justice response across West Africa within the framework of a project titled, “Support to West African Integrated Maritime Security (SWAIMS)”.

This is coming as Nigeria pressed ahead with the first ever trial of a piracy case under the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act of June 2019.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

AGF opposes bail application for alleged pirates

Oladimeji Ramon

The Attorney General of the Federation on Monday appealed to the Federal High Court in Lagos State not to grant bail to 10 alleged pirates, who are being tried for the hijacking of a fishing vessel, named FV Hai Lu Feng II, belonging to Haina Fishing Company.

The defendants were arraigned on July 13 before Justice Ayokunle Faji. The defendants are Frank Abaka, Jude Ebaragha, Shina Alolo, Joshua Iwiki, David Akinseye, Ahmed Toyin, Shobajo Saheed, Adekole Philip, Matthew Masi and Bright Agbedeyi.

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Source: punchng.com

Allianz: Gulf of Guinea sees piracy soar

Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

THE Gulf of Guinea has re-emerged as the global piracy hotspot accounting for 90 per cent of global kidnappings reported at sea last year, with the number of crew taken increasing by more than 50 per cent to 121, according to marine insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s (AGCS) Safety & Shipping Review 2020.

Allianz, in the report made available to The Nation, stated that given heightened political and economic uncertainty in the world, piracy is a threat that is likely to remain for a long time.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

Yemen seizes boat loaded with weapons in Red Sea

Saeed Al-Batati

AL-MUKALLA: Yemen coastguards in the Red Sea have seized a boat loaded with three tons of ammunition, as the country intensifies sea patrols to intercept Iranian weapon shipments to the Houthis.

A local security official said a coast guard vessel on Thursday stopped a boat sailing inside Yemeni waters near Perim Island.

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Source: arabnews.com

Pirates attack tanker in Gulf of Guinea, kidnap 13 sailors

Harry S. Johnson

Pirates attacked the chemical tanker Curacao Trader about 210 miles (around 338km) off the coast of Benin, in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, today, the vessel’s Greek operator said, according to the Maritime Bulletin.

The armed perpetrators boarded the ship and kidnapped “13 out of its 19 Ukranian and Russian crew members.”The vessel has been left drifting since the attack, due to the lack of manpower, but another ship has been sent to assist it.

MarsecNews Note: I should add that some outlets are reporting that 15 crew were taken hostage.

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Source: eturbonews.com

Illegal oil dealings: 3 Nigerians sent to prison

By Wale Odunsi

Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of Federal High Court, Ikoyi, on Thursday, convicted and sentenced Ometoruwa David, Morford Meteku and John Inneh to one year in prison for conspiracy and illegally dealing in petroleum products.

The trio were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on three-count amended charges to which they pleaded guilty upon their re-arraignment. On January 9, 2020, the Nigerian Navy had arrested the convicts on board a vessel, MV Lady Sharon.

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Source: dailypost.ng

IMB issues Abu Sayyaf kidnap threat alert

Ref: IMB/PRC/Alert – 106-2020

150600 UTC JUL 2020

TO: ALL SHIPS TRANSITING IN AND OFF EASTERN SABAH / CELEBES SEA / SULU SEA / TAWI TAWI

WARNING WARNING WARNING

THIS WARNING IS AN ACTIVE WARNING BROADCAST TRANSMITTED SINCE 011000 UTC JUL 2020. BROADCAST WILL CONTINUE ON ALTERNATE DAYS.
AFTER RE-EVALUATION ON 13.07.2020, THIS WARNING IS STILL VALID FOR ANOTHER 5 DAYS. SOME OF THE ASG MEMBERS CANNOT BE TRACK AND MAY STILL BE AT SEA.

ASG PLAN KIDNAPPING – ORIGINAL FIRST BROADCAST WARNING BELOW DATED 011000 UTC JUL 2020.

THE IMB PRC HAS RECEIVED INFORMATION ON 01 JULY 2020 FROM PHILIPPINES INTEL THAT EIGHT ASG/KFRG WERE SPOTTED IN SITANGKAI, TAWI TAWI ONBOARD A WHITE WITH YELLOW AND ORANGE STRIPES SPEEDBOAT POWERED BY 250HP YAMAHA ENGINE. IT WAS REPORTED THAT FOOD AND WATER WERE PURCHASED BY THEM EARLIER.
THE GROUP IS PLANNING TO CONDUCT KIDNAPPING ACTIVITIES IN/OFF SABAH/ SEMPORNA TARGETING FOREIGNERS/SEAFARERS.

VESSELS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN VIGILANT AND MAINTAIN STRICT ANTI-PIRACY WATCH AND MEASURES.
EARLY ASSESSMENT / DETECTION WILL ALLOW SHIPS TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTIONS AND PREVENT BOARDING AND REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. CITADEL/SAFE ROOM IS IMPORTANT IN CERTAIN AREAS.

THIS WARNING WILL BE RE-EVALUATED AGAIN ON 17 JULY 2020.

Military arrests seven sea pirates, destroys oil thieves camp in South

The Defence Headquarters says the military has arrested seven suspected sea pirates, impounded bags of smuggled rice and destroyed oil thieves’ camp in the Niger Delta region in the last one week.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, disclosed this while giving update on the Armed Forces of Nigeria operations between July 9 and 16 at a news conference Thursday in Abuja.

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Source: theeagleonline.com.ng