ReCAAP issues Abu Sayyaf kidnap for ransom warning

On 22 May, the ReCAAP ISC received information from the Philippine Coast Guard (ReCAAP Focal Point) that a group of approximately five ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) members armed with assorted firearms is planning to conduct kidnapping activities in undisclosed areas in Sabah, Malaysia. They are targeting wealthy businessmen or crew of fishing boats and other slow moving ships plying within the waters off Sabah, Malaysia. The group came from Sulu and was monitored to have landed at Omapoy Island, Sipangkot, Sitangkai, Tawi Tawi.

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Source: recaap.org

To download the ReCAAP alert PDF, please click here.

Russian sailors captured off Benin’s coast released

The kidnapped crewmembers of Tommi Ritscher container ship included three Russians, according to earlier data

TASS, May 25. Eight sailors, including Russians citizens, who were captured off the Beninese coast have been released in neighboring Nigeria, head of the operation to save sailors, admiral Oladele Daji said Monday.

“We are hoping to ask them questions, but it is too early now, at least one of them is too weak,” Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying.

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Source: tass.com

9 Georgian sailors kidnapped in Nigeria released

Nine Georgian sailors who have been kidnapped by pirates from a ship flying the Panamese flag in Nigeria have been released and will return to their homeland in several days.

Tamar Ioseliani, head of the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia, said that a special flight will be carried out to bring the sailors back home.

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Source: agenda.ge

Navy Recovers N75bn Stolen Petroleum Products

By Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Nigeria Navy has said it recovered N75 billion worth of stolen petroleum products in five years. The products recovered between 2015 and 2019 include crude oil, diesel and petrol.

It said a total of 2,287 illegal refineries were discovered and destroyed within the same period.

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Source: thisdaylive.com

Customs intercept N1.2b cannabis on Lagos waters

Operatives of the Western Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service(NCS) have intercepted drugs suspected to be Cannabis Sativa valued at N1,002,050,000 during a seagoing patrol on Lagos waters.

The Controller of the command, Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, revealed this in a statement in Lagos on Thursday.

Peters described the seizure as the “largest single seizure” of such drug on the waters in the history of the Nigeria Customs.

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Source: pulse.ng

Product Tanker Boarded and Robbed off Port-au-Prince

The product tanker Tosna Star was boarded and robbed by armed pirates off the port of Port-au-Prince, Haiti last Sunday, according to one of her crewmembers.

In an account posted on Facebook, crewmember Claudio Omar Benitez said that the Argentine crew of the Tosna Star has been stuck on board for months due to the novel coronavirus, unable to return to their homes. Their ship is currently at the anchorage off Port-au-Prince, and on Sunday, a group of armed Haitians boarded the tanker by the stern.

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Source: maritime-executive.com

Jamoh: Inter-agency Collaboration Key to Maritime Security

By Eromosele Abiodun

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has restated its commitment to collaboration among relevant agencies and stakeholders for the security of the country’s maritime domain.

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, stated this in Lagos during the official handover of pirates arrested by the Nigerian Navy for prosecution.

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Source: thisdaylive.com

Stable Seas report: What we know about piracy

SafeSeas is pleased to announce the first report resulting from collaboration with Stable Seas: What we know about Piracy

Authored by Lydelle Joubert, the report draws on desk-based research conducted between June 2019 and March 2020. It provides a systematic overview of data, answering the questions:

How is data on piracy and armed robbery collected?
By whom?
What kinds of information are available?
How accessible is the data?
What are the blind spots?

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MarsecNews: This is a good overall read and covers the topic very well. Full marks to Lydelle and the team.

Curfew in ESSZone extended until June 4

The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), which ends tomorrow, has been extended until June 4.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Zaini Jas said the curfew covered the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran.

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Source: bernama.com

Pirates Attack Cypriot Flagged Cargo Vessel Off Nigeria’s Shore In Gulf Of Guinea- Reports

Faizan Hashmi

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 21st May, 2020) Pirates have attacked a cargo vessel sailing under the Cypriot flag in the Gulf of Guinea near the Nigerian southern state of Bayelsa, Dryad Global company specializing in maritime security said on Wednesday.

All crew members of the ESL AUSTRALIA vessel managed to hide in a specially equipped room, according to the company.

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Source: urdupoint.com