MV Bonita crew released by pirates

We are delighted to confirm that late on Friday evening, December 6, 2019, the nine crew members from MV Bonita held as hostages, were released in Nigeria and brought to a safe place in southern Nigeria, after 35 days in captivity.

All crew members have gone through medical examinations Friday and Saturday. The doctor declared all nine fit to fly/travel on Saturday. Needless to say, the captivity has been a very difficult experience for them. The crew members will receive further care and follow up after arrival in the Philippines. Ugland will continue to work with our crew members throughout their recovery process.

After being safely transported out of Nigeria, the crew members have now safely arrived in Manila, Philippines, to reunite with their families and colleagues.

Representatives from Ugland headquarters’ in Grimstad, Norway and other parties have been actively engaged in the process of bringing the hostages home and have been present both in Nigeria and the Philippines.

We are very thankful and relieved that the crew are now free and back home. President Øystein Beisland says: “We are truly happy that the nine crew members are now reunited with their families and have their wellbeing at heart. I would on behalf of the company like to sincerely thank all parties that have contributed to resolving this difficult situation”.

Source: jjuc.no

FREE AND SAFE: Eight of the nine hostages from MV Bonita en route to Manila, the ninth crew member is behind the camera. Executive Vice President in Ugland, Arnt Olaf Knutsen, behind

PH, Indonesia to renew commitment in watching over Sulu-Celebes Sea

By Betheena Kae Unite

Maritime security concerns in the Sulu-Celebes Sea, like kidnap for ransom and terrorism, are expected to be addressed as the Philippines and Indonesia renew their commitment to enforce security in the said sea.

The Philippines, through the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Indonesia, through the Indonesian Maritime Security Force also known as Humas Bakamla RI (BAKAMLA), aim to intensify maritime security cooperation through the re-signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with implementing arrangement (IA) that will be held in Bali, Indonesia next year.

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Source: news.mb.com.ph

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