ReCAAP ISC: Alert on Incidents in Singapore Strait during January-April

During January-April 2019, four incidents of unauthorised boarding of ships in locations of close proximity to each other were reported in the western sector of Singapore Strait.

All four incidents occurred to tug boats towing barges and dredger while underway in the westbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS). Of the four incidents, two incidents reported loss of scrap metal, and nothing was reported stolen in the other two incidents. The crew was not injured in all four incidents.

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Source: seanews.co.uk

Navy tasks NASS on anti-piracy bill

Kingston Obung

The menace of piracy in Nigeria’s territorial waters could be brought to an end if the National Assembly expedites action on the bill before it on piracy, the Nigerian Navy has said.

This remark was made in Calabar by Com Olukoya Bamidele, a guest lecturer and representative of the Nigerian Navy during an inter-agency corporation seminar organised by the Naval War College, Nigeria to discuss the Harmonized Standard Operating Procedures on Arrest, Detention and Prosecution of Vessels &Persons in Nigeria Maritime Environment (HSOP-AD&P).

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Source: blueprint.ng

Crew Of Pirates Captured By Spanish Soldiers

The crew of the frigate ‘Navarra’ has carried out the device in the framework of the Atalanta mission; the operation is still open.

Spanish soldiers of the Navarra frigate have intercepted a pirate vessel and captured the crew, which in the previous days had attacked two ships -one of them, Spanish-. The episode took place on the morning of this Tuesday in the waters of the Indian Ocean , in the framework of the Atalanta operation of the European Union to fight against piracy. The device has culminated with the release of a Yemeni fisherman who had been kidnapped for four days.

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Source: maritimeherald.com

Root of maritime crime ‘must be addressed,’ says Saudi Border Guards chief

JEDDAH: The head of the Saudi Border Guards has warned that maritime security in the Red Sea and elsewhere can only be achieved if the root of piracy and maritime crime are addressed.

Gen. Awad bin Eid Al-Balwi, director general of the Saudi Border Guards, was speaking at the opening of an international workshop on Tuesday on dealing with piracy and other crimes at the Mohammed bin Naif Institute for Maritime Science and Security Studies in Jeddah.

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Source: arabnews.com

Nigerian Navy seeks speedy passage of anti-piracy law

Ada Wodu, Calabar

The Nigerian Navy has urged the National Assembly to speed up the passage of the anti-piracy bill into law in a bid to end the menace which is sabotaging the country’s economy.

The Navy made the call at an Inter-Agency corporation seminar organised by the Naval War College, Nigeria to discuss the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedures on Arrest, Detention and Prosecution of Vessels & Persons in Nigeria Maritime Environment with the theme: ‘Combating smuggling through inter-agency cooperation.’

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Source: punchng.com

Tanzania: Seven Somali Nationals Jailed for Life Over Piracy

By Faustine Kapama

THE High Court in Dar es Salaam has sentenced seven Somali nationals to life imprisonment over piracy. Judge Yose Mlyambina meted the harsh sentence last week against Mohamed Adam, Bashir Rooble, Muhsini Haji, Abdulwaidi Abdalahamani, Faragani Abdul, Ally Nur Ally and Omar Mohamed, alias Mudhee after convicting them of the charges they were facing.

He took into consideration evidence by 14 prosecution witnesses and six documentary exhibits as well as the defence testimony by the accused.

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Source: allafrica.com

Duterte issues travel warning for Zamboanga

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday urged tourists not to travel to Zamboanga for now as he raised the atrocities committed by the Abu Sayyaf against foreigners.

Duterte gave the statement at the 7th Union Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Pasay City which was attended by health experts in the region.

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Source: gmanetwork.com

Tanker attacked, 6 crew kidnapped

Mikhail Voytenko

Product tanker APECUS attacked by 6 persons at Bonny Outer Anchorage, Nigeria at 1330 UTC Apr 19, 6 crew kidnapped, according to IMB report. Tanker was moved to Bonny inner anchorage. According to AIS records, tanker during recent months traded between Tema Ghana, Lome Togo, and Lagos, she arrived at Bonny anchorage from Lagos on Apr 20 or earlier. AIS records history is sketchy – tanker was trading in dangerous waters, probably having to switch off AIS for security reasons.

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Source: maritimebulletin.net

Regina makes second drug bust

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

HMCS Regina and crew completed a second sizable drug bust following the seizure of approximately 3,000 kilograms of hashish of the coast of Oman.

The Canadian warship is participating in Operation Artemis and the Canadian Armed Forces Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, part of an international counter-terrorism and maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean involving the combined maritime forces of 33 nations.

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Source: lookoutnewspaper.com

Piracy attack off the coast of Somalia

On 21 April, fishing vessels FV Adria and FV Txori Argi were attacked by suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, 280 NM off the coast of Somalia. The piracy attacks were thwarted, and the crew and vessels remained safe, thanks to the application of Best Management Practices (BMP) protection measures by the Masters, the crews and the private security teams embarked on both fishing vessels.

EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta confirms these attacks. It is likely that the attacks were facilitated by a mothership, which was reportedly seized by armed men on 19 April off the central Somali Coast.

EU NAVFOR subsequently dispatched its Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircrafts to search the area. In addition, EU NAVFOR flagship ESPS Navarra left the port in Mombasa in order to proceed into the area.

On 23 April, ESPS NAVARA successfully intercepted and boarded the dhow being used as a mothership.

The operation is still ongoing, and more details will be provided upon completion.
EU NAVFOR remains committed to deterring, preventing and suppressing piracy and emphasizes that the Maritime Industry must adhere to BMP measures in order to maximize the safety of the ship and their crews whilst transiting the high-risk area.

Source: eunavfor.eu