Iran’s defense chain in PG ready to respond to any threat

Iranian Navy ships in Velayat-90 military exercise, by Mohammad Sadegh Heydari via Wikipedia

TEHRAN, Oct. 13 (MNA) – Deputy Navy Commander for Coordination Rear Admiral Hamzeh Ali Kaviani said that Iran’s defense chain in the south of the country is ready to respond to any threat.

He made the remarks at the welcoming ceremony of Iran’s 69th naval flotilla which returned to the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Tuesday after a 67-day mission in the international waters. “The presence of foreigners in the Persian Gulf is of no use to them, we declare to the enemies that Iran will respond to any threat to its waters and interests,” said Kaviani.

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Source: mehrnews.com

NIMASA DG claims Somali pirate involvement in Gulf of Guinea

Over the last decade of reporting on maritime security and piracy, I’ve seen some quite remarkable things. Nothing, however, quite as special as the headlines emerging from the Nigerian press on Monday October 12th.

According to an article in Nigeria’s Ships and Ports, the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh, “has raised the alarm that Somali pirates are now active in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea.”

The website further states that:

A statement by NIMASA spokesman, Philip Kyanet on Sunday, quoted the NIMASA DG as saying that the pirates often navigated through Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, and sometimes came through the land borders.

While I’m used to seeing Western media outlets conflate Somali and West African piracy, using the wrong images to illustrate articles and so forth, this is a remarkable claim.

Setting aside the language issues, the societal and familial/clan issues and so on, I just cannot get over the initial premise that Somali pirates are travelling 7,000km to target shipping, when their own country borders some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

What I can believe, however, is that the financial backers of Somali piracy, illegal arms and human trafficking have somehow made contact with organised criminal groups in West Africa. But that’s not what the article states.

Piracy and maritime crime in the waters of West Africa are an ongoing issue, despite the best efforts of regional naval forces to address it. Suggestions that foreign actors from countries thousands of kilometers away could be involved, however, are really not helpful.

As with all things in life, however, I’ll happily admit I’m wrong when the first Somali pirates are arrested off the Niger Delta…

Navy, Japanese maritime force hold joint drill in Gulf of Aden

SLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Zulfiqar has participated in Passage Exercise with Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force Ship Onami in the Gulf of Aden.

Both the ships are presently operating in the vital area of the Gulf of Aden as part of international efforts to counter piracy and ensure the security of international shipping.

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Source: pakistantoday.com.pk

Troops Rescue 5 Foreign Expatriates Kidnapped by Sea Pirates

By JOHN ENENCHE

Recall that on 9 May 2020 some foreign expatriates onboard MT RIO MITONG and MT DJIBLOHO were kidnapped by unknown militants group in Yellow Island. Acting on credible intelligence a joint team from Forward Operating Base Bonny, Nigerian Navy Ship PATHFINDER and troops of 146 Battalion swiftly combed the creeks in search of the kidnapped victims. After a thorough search and rescue operation, the gallant troops raided 4 identified sea pirates/militants hideout at Ibiakafemo, Idinkiri, Tombie and Ogboma.

The identified camps were subsequently destroyed to deny the pirates freedom of action. Consequently, on the early hours of 6 October 2020, the pirates/militants compelled by the ongoing operation surrendered to the gallant troops and handed over the 5 kidnapped foreign expatriates at Iwofe Waterfront. The 5 expatriates comprising 3 Russians, one Ukranian and one Equatorial Guinean are presently at NNS PATHFINDER medical centre receiving medical attention.

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Source: prnigeria.com

Terrorism harbors at sea : Snapshot of Maritime Terrorism

Sakshar Law Associates – Sakshi Shairwal and Anam Khan

ntroduction

Modern terrorism dates back to the French revolution and has been evolving since then. Among many reasons and sources that aid terrorism, the most common ones are clashes between different cultures, religion and international conflicts. Gone are the days when terrorism was limited to land. Now the scope has shifted to the waters too. Unfortunately, there is no authoritative definition of maritime terrorism. However, what is commonly understood of the term ‘terrorism’ is one among several forms of armed rebellion with systematic use of violence to achieve some higher cause. With the prefix, ‘maritime’ added to it the limit of such armed rebels is restricted to the waters. Although maritime terrorism has not been a serious threat one cannot discount from the rather widespread fears that there is something worse may come.

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Source: lexology.com

ESSzone curfew extended to Oct 17

TAWAU: The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), scheduled to end tomorrow, has been extended to Oct 17.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said the curfew was enforced in the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran.

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Source: nst.com.my

Revealed: How Iran smuggles weapons to the Houthis

Saeed Al-Batati

AL-MUKALLA, Yemen: A captured gang of arms smugglers has revealed how Iran supplies weapons to Houthi militias in Yemen through a base in Somalia.

The Houthis exploit poverty in Yemen to recruit fishermen as weapons smugglers, and send fighters to Iran for military training under cover of “humanitarian” flights from Yemen to Oman, the gang said.

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Source: arabnews.com

Is the media guilty of exaggerating West African piracy threat?

By Gary Dixon

West African piracy remains a threat but attacks are not becoming more frequent despite headline-grabbing abduction stories in the media.

That is the view of Dirk Siebels, senior analyst at Danish security consultancy company Risk Intelligence.

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Source: tradewindsnews.com

EFCC begins probe of eight suspected oil thieves, vessel in Port Harcourt

By Matthew Ogune

The Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation of eight suspected oil thieves and a vessel, Miracle Worker, handed over to it by the Nigerian Navy.

The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this, yesterday, in Abuja, said that the suspects were handed over to the commission by the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Bonny, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after being intercepted for suspected involvement in illegal oil bunkering.

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Source: guardian.ng

Two oil thieves bag three years jail term in Lagos

A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced two oil thieves, Jacob Momodu and Onutu Anthony, to three years imprisonment each.

The convicts were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on dealing in petroleum product without appropriate license, after they were arrested by officers of the Nigerian Navy and handed over to the Commission for investigation.

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Source: guardian.ng