ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre Conducts Anti-Piracy Capacity Building Programme

ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre Conducts Anti-Piracy Capacity Building Programme for Senior Officers of Maritime Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies in Cooperation with Vietnam Coast Guard ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) in cooperation with ReCAAP Vietnam Focal Point (Vietnam Coast Guard) today convened the Capacity Building Senior Officer’s Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The three-day programme will gather senior officers from 16 ReCAAP Member Countries as well as Malaysia and Indonesia to review the situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia including the incidents of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas, share specific case studies, and discuss ways to improve the maritime safety situation in Asia.

Complementing the programme is a lecture on international maritime laws and their applications, as well as a scenario-based exercise facilitated by Professor Max Mejia of the World Maritime University.

Participants of the programme will also have an opportunity to have a dialogue with the shipping industry based in Vietnam to better understand their concerns.

“The ReCAAP model is unique because it gives emphasis on information sharing among a network of 20 ReCAAP Focal Points across Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States as an approach to fighting maritime crimes,” said Mr. Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC. “Thanks to the regional and international cooperation, incidents of piracy and sea robbery in Asia are decreasing. We will continue to strengthen the capability and cooperation of ReCAAP Focal Points and regional authorities to keep Asian waters—one of the most economically vital in the world—safe for seafarers, ships and cargoes.”

The ReCAAP Member Countries represented at the Capacity Building Senior Officers’ Meeting 2019 in Hanoi are Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

Source: recaap.org

Mr. Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre noted that the ReCAAP model of information sharing among a network of 20 ReCAAP Focal Points across Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States is an effective approach to fighting maritime crimes

Indian, French navies to carry out joint patrolling in Indian Ocean Region

New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) India and France will soon launch a joint naval patrolling in the region to protect their strategic interests, including to check large scale illegal fishing, a top commander of the French Navy said on Monday.

Vice admiral Didier Maleterre, who is Joint Commander of the French forces deployed in the Indian Ocean region, also said that the two navies will ink an agreement early next year providing for sharing of classified information for better operational cooperation in the region.

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Source: outlookindia.com

Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill introduced in Lok Sabha

Elizabeth Roche

NEW DELHI : External affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Monday introduced a bill in Parliament that provides for stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those involved in piracy at sea.

The introduction of the bill comes days after some 18 Indians aboard a crude oil carrier were kidnapped off the coast of Nigeria. India is still negotiating the release of its nationals.

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Source: livemint.com

Navy arrests 8 suspects with 112 drums of PMS

By Iniabasi Umo

The Nigerian Navy in Akwa Ibom State has arrested 8 suspects with 112 drums of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

The eight suspects were arrested with the drums of petrol in a wooden boat around the Abgani area by Navy patrol gun boats and were said to be heading to Cameroon.

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Source: dailytrust.com.ng

Indian media reports ‘pirate’ incident

The Times of India carried an article on Dec. 8th, which stated that Kandla Marine Police had opened a case against three unknown suspects who carried out ‘mid-sea piracy’ against the MV Jeetsagar on November 13th.

According to the report, three ‘pirates’ boarded the cargo ship off the Indian cosat, between Kandla and Navlakhi ports during the night.

“They boarded the ship and looted barrels containing 190 litres of diesel and a cellphone,” according to the paper, as well as threatening crew. Given the location and apparent threats made to the vessel before the incident, it would appear that this was the work of opportunists rather than a concerted piracy effort. The incident does not appear to have been reported to the IMB.

Navy arrests 11 suspected pirates

By Eugene Agha

Eleven persons suspected to be pirates were at the weekend arrested by naval operatives attached to the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, in Lagos.

The naval operatives also arrested a logistics vessel, MV TIM GBEGELE, allegedly used by the pirates to steal petroleum products.

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Source: dailytrust.com.ng

Japan plans to deploy escort ship, patrol aircraft in Arabian Sea in 2020

Nathan Gain

Japan plans to send one escort ship, one patrol aircraft and 270 sailors from the Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to the northern part of the Arabian Sea to protect international merchant vessels, the Nikkei business daily said yesterday.

The Japanese government is expected to green light the deployment plan by the end of this year. The JMSDF assets will be deployed on a one-year mission that could be renewed on an annual basis. Japan said it would not join the U.S.-led coalition Sentinel the Pentagon is forming in the region with countries such as Australia, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.

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Source: navalnews.com

NIMASA, Navy in rescue mission for 19 abducted seafarers

By Oko Ebuka

In the wake of the recent attack on a tanker vessel named, ‘Nave Constellation’, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has said that the Agency is working in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, NN, to ensure the release of the abducted seafarers as well as securing the lives of the remaining crew onboard.

19 crew members on board the vessel which was attacked off the coast of Bonny, Rivers State, were abducted leaving nine [MarsecNews: seven crew, according to incident reports] others behind.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Duterte orders additional troops deployment to thwart Islamic threats in Mindanao

By Genalyn Kabiling

To thwart any threat from Islamic State-linked militants, President Duterte has ordered the deployment of more battalions to help keep peace and security in Mindanao.

The President said he had asked Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to send 20 to 35 battalions from the Philippine Army, admitting he was worried that ISIS threat in Sulu might spill over to other parts of Mindanao.

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Source: news.mb.com.ph

At least 1 killed following pipeline explosion in Nigeria: official

LAGOS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) — At least one person was killed and another injured in an oil pipeline blast in Nigeria’s business hub of Lagos on Thursday, the police and rescue officials confirmed.

Ibrahim Farinloye, spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA), told Xinhua that the explosion appears to be an accident, and not the work of thieves as in past pipeline explosions near Lagos. He said security personnel have since been deployed to the area where pipeline explosion occurred.

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Source: xinhuanet.com