Army smashes biggest camp operated by Oil thieves in Delta

BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME WARRI

The Nigerian army has smashed one of the biggest camps operated by oil thieves in Delta state, destroying about sixty Cotonu boats, 150 storage tanks, 700 drums used by the oil thieves for their illicit trade.

Commander Sector I, Operation Delta Safe,OPDS, Warri Delta state, Colonel Baba Manu led his men with two swamp boggy into the camp covering about 20 kilometres located between Ogevughe to Otujeremi in Ughelli north local government area

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Iran, Oman to stage joint military drill: envoy

Speaking at a meeting with 120 representatives from Iranian trade and economic sectors held in Muscat, ambassador Nouri Shahroudi said the two countries will be staging a joint military drill in the coming days.

“Currently, our joint military committee is present in Oman, and we will hold a joint maneuver in the coming days,” he said.

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Source: en.mehrnews.com

ReCAAP issues 1st Quarter report

A total of 10 incidents of armed robbery against ships (comprising nine actual incidents and one attempted incident) were reported in Asia during January-March 2019 compared to 21 incidents (comprising 15 actual incidents and six attempted incidents) during January-March 2018. This accounts for a 52% decrease in the total number of incidents reported during January-March 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.

The number of actual incidents has also decreased by 40% during January-March 2019 compared to January-March 2018. Both the total number of incidents and number of actual incidents reported during January-March 2019 are the lowest among the period of January-March of 13-year (2007-2019).

The full report is attached here as a PDF.

recaap-isc-1st-quarter-2019-report Download

Source: recaap.org

Navy arrests 10 suspected pirates

by Precious Igbonwelundu

Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) and their United States (US) counterparts have arrested 10 suspected pirates within the Nigerian end of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

The suspects, comprising three Greece, two Americans and five [others], were arrested onboard a logistic boat allegedly belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Sunday evening, by the crew that was on-board Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) CENTENARY for a joint operation codenamed ‘Junction Rain’.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

Maritime Security News:
An interesting mix of nationalities in terms of a ‘pirate’ gang operating off Nigeria. The article notes that several Benelli rifles were recovered rather than the more standard and cheaper AK-47 and variants. Call me a skeptic, but I think these are gamekeepers rather than poachers…

ClassNK Releases Cyber Security Management System for Ships

By Baibhav Mishra

Leading Classification Society ClassNK has released its Cyber Security Management System for Ships.

As part of the ClassNK Cyber Security Series, ClassNK regularly releases guidelines and standards that outline cyber security measures based on the recently-released ClassNK Cyber Security Approach that outlines ClassNK’s basic approach to ensuring onboard cyber security for ships.

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Source: seanews.co.uk

‘Rising crude theft depleting revenue, crippling environment’

By Nurudeen Oyewole

The New Nigeria Foundation (NNF), a civil environmental group focusing on crude oil theft in Niger/Delta, has raised the alarm that the rising crude theft in the region is massively depleting the country’s revenue base and crippling the environment.

NFF Senior Programmes Manager Mrs. Olayide Adesanya told newsmen in Lagos that crude theft had become a hydra-headed monster crippling the socio-economic, environment and economy of the country.

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Source: dailytrust.com.ng

Venezuelan Pirates Attack T&T Yacht

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — President of the Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (YSATT), Tommy Johnson, has called on yacht owners to travel in “a convoy if possible” after a 55-foot sailboat came under attack from Venezuelan pirates over the last weekend.

In a statement posted on the YSATT’s Facebook page, Johnson said on Sunday, the Sylph, a 55-foot Beneteau sailboat, which was positioned about 15 nautical miles north-east of the Hibiscus oil platform, was approached by a group of eight Venezuelans in an attempted piracy attack.

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Source: stluciatimes.com

Pirate attack – Trinidad (April 4th)

Late report: Underway Trinidad & Tobago-flagged monohull yacht approached by open piroque with 8 POB at 1030 LT in position 11:24N – 061:36W, around 39nm North of Trinidad coast. Pirates, in white/blue and orange bow 40ft boat w/ 2 large O/B motors approached from eastward direction, fired warning shots into the air and indicated they wanted the yacht to stop. Yacht w/ 2 POB continued resulting in pirates firing further warning shots.Due to high sea state the pirogue was able to approach the yacht for boarding. Yacht maintained full speed and began zigzag manoeuvres. Addition shots fired which damaged yacht hull and coach roof; no injuries sustained. Reported (S&S Net) 4 Apr. Via OCEANUSLive.org

Why the Massive Floating Bomb in the Red Sea Needs Urgent Attention

BY DR. IAN RALBY, DR. DAVID SOUD, AND ROHINI RALBY

A floating storage and offloading (FSO) terminal less than five miles off the coast of Yemen has turned into a massive bomb—capable of explosion due to its contents and lack of maintenance. The risk of explosion increases by the day, and if that were to happen, not only would it damage or sink any ships in the vicinity, but it would create an environmental crisis roughly four and a half times the size of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The consequences of that explosion and corresponding environmental devastation would likely be 1) to rupture the fragile aid-focused ceasefire in Hodeidah established under the December 2018 Stockholm Agreement; and 2) to accelerate the already dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen where roughly fourteen million people are on the brink of famine, surviving at the moment on international aid. There is nothing benign about this situation—even in a region with countless immediate needs, this matter is of the utmost urgency.

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Source: atlanticcouncil.org

Abu Sayyaf sub-leader, 8 others killed in Sulu clashes – military

By CNN Philippines Staff

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 12) — A ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf group and eight other fighters were killed in a series of clashes with government troops in Patikul, Sulu on Thursday, the military said Friday.

A press release from Joint Task Force Sulu identified one of the casualties as Julie Ikit, described as the second-in-command and cousin of senior leader Radullan Sahiron. The elusive Sahiron is among the most wanted terrorists of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation, with a $1 million bounty on his head.

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Source: cnnphilippines.com