We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
Two robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored bulk carrier by using a rope with a hook at 0430 UTC in position 00:03.5N – 050:57.8W, Macapa Anchorage, Brazil. Duty AB on routine rounds spotted the robbers and immediately informed the OOW, who raised the alarm. PA announcement made and all crew mustered. Seeing the alerted crew, the robbers escaped without stealing anything. Incident was reported to Port Authorities. Reported (IMB) 10 Mar. Via OCEANUSLive.org
Globally, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, based in Singapore, recorded 201 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in 2018, up from 180 in 2017. The Gulf of Guinea remained increasingly dangerous for seafarers as reports of attacks in waters between the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo more than doubled in 2018.
The expansion of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea poses a dire threat to local economies, potentially undermining what little stability currently exists in the region. Oil revenue, which many countries in the region rely upon, is seriously threatened by pirate activity; 7 per cent of Nigeria’s oil wealth is believed lost due to such criminality.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia
OVERVIEW
During 5-11 Mar 19, an incident of armed robbery against ship was reported to ReCAAP
ISC. The incident occurred on 5 Feb 19 and was reported to ReCAAP ISC by Focal Point
Singapore after verification with the relevant agencies. The location of the incident is
shown in the map below; and detailed description of the incident is tabulated in
attachment.
The full report is attached here as a PDF.
Source: recaap.org
KOTA KINABALU: Security forces in eastern Sabah have gone on full alert amid reports that at least 17 Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by three notorious sub-leaders are on the hunt for “value kidnap” targets.
The group, believed led by sub-commanders Salip Mura, Majan Sahidjuan @ Apo Mike and Abu Radin, left their stronghold in Jolo two days ago and headed towards the Tawi-Tawi chain of islands that borders Sabah’s east coast to take hostages.
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Source: thestar.com.my
KOTA KINABALU: The dawn-to-dusk curfew in Sabah’s east coast has been extended another two weeks from Tuesday (March 12), amid continuing threats from Abu Sayyaf-linked cross-border kidnap groups and other criminal elements.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said that the extension until March 27 was necessary due to the continuing threat of kidnap-for-ransom groups and other criminals from neighbouring Philippines.
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Source: thestar.com.my
MANILA, Philippines — The military launched a new offensive on members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) on Friday, after it reportedly monitored a consolidation of terrorists in the hinterlands of Patikul, Sulu.
“Various military assets were employed together with the assaulting ground troops to attack the ASG lairs in Sulu at 6:40 a.m.
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Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
…277,040 crude oil, 23.1m litres AGO,1.2m DPK, lost to illegal refining …46 vessels arrested
By Evelyn Usman
One of the ills bedeviling the security space of the country’s coastline has been the scourge of maritime crimes such as piracy , sea robbery , crude oil theft , bunkering , insurgency and hostage taking.
Often times , Nigerians are daunted with news of criminal elements who hide under the veneer of these maritime crimes to inflict untold emotional and psychological trauma on innocent and defenseless sailors.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
By Godwin Oritse
THE Nigerian Trawler Owners Association, NITOA, and the Federal Department of Fishery and Agriculture, have said that there has been a drastic reduction in pirates attacks against fishing trawlers.
Speaking to Vanguard Maritime Report, President of the association, Mr. Amire Akinbola, said although he could not make the figures available to our correspondent, the report of such attacks was very minimal last year.
Maritime Security News Note:
This may well be the case for Nigerian fishermen, but it’s a different story for crew on other vessels. On Feb. 24th, eight Chinese crew were reportedly kidnapped from fishing vessels off Cameroon.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
The Philippines and Malaysia vowed on Thursday to ramp up their cooperation to address security issues in the region, particularly in combating terrorism, piracy and transnational crimes, including the fight against illegal drug trade.
“We resolved to address security issues. We touched on our extensive economic cooperation. We shared the view that its further expansion serves our mutual interests as that of ASEAN and our region,” Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said after his meeting with visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at the Malacanang presidential palace.
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Source: globaltimes.cn
Whilst underway, Malaysia-flagged tugboat and barge, crew spotted 11 robbers boarding the barge that was being towed by tug boat from two small crafts at 0310 UTC in position 01:12.08N – 103:34.62E, Straits of Malacca & Singapore. Tugboat and barge carrying scrap iron, bound for Penang, Malaysia. At about 0345 UTC, Master reported that 11 robbers have escaped in small crafts with stolen scrap iron. No confrontation with the crew. All crew are safe. Reported (ReCAAP) 5 Mar. Via OCEANUSLive.org.
Maritime Security News 