Equatorial Guinea: 10 pirates arrested after attacking a Maltese boat

The Equatorial Guinean military navy has arrested ten pirates who attacked Maltese-flagged ship Malabo on Sunday, freeing 20 crew members who had taken refuge in an emergency compartment, AFP reported on Tuesday. the Equatorial Guinean authorities.

“I congratulate the heroic action of our armed forces” who intervened after “a call for help from a boat (…) attacked by a star with on board ten pirates,” said a statement from the vice- President of the Defense and Security Equatorial Guinean Teodorin Nguema Obiang read Tuesday on state radio.

“Thanks to the swift intervention of our armed forces, (we) managed to save the crew on board and arrest the ten pirates, whose alleged nationality is Nigerian,” he added.

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Source: afrique.lalibre.be

Photos: Spanish Navy Rescues Heavy Lift Ship from Pirates

On Sunday, the heavy lift ship Blue Marlin was hijacked off the coast of Equatorial Guinea. The Spanish Navy and forces from Equatorial Guinea boarded the vessel and secured it early on Monday morning.

After unloading her cargo in the waters of Equatorial Guinea, the Blue Marlin departed Sunday, bound for Malta. On Sunday afternoon, the ship was approached by a zodiac and forcibly boarded by seven armed pirates. All twenty of the Marlin’s crew members were able to secure themselves in the ship’s citadel, which is equipped with communications gear and emergency rations.

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Source: maritime-executive.com

Spanish and Equatorial Guinea forces secure the Blue Marlin (Estado Mayor de la Defensa)

Heavy lift ship hijacked – Gulf of Guinea (May 5th)

MV attacked and boarded by seven suspected pirates in a single speedboat at 1216 UTC in position 03:04.14N – 007:55.01E, around 90nm SE of Bonny Island, Nigeria. Crew retreated into the citadel. At 0803 UTC (6 May) vessel reported HIJACKED. Pirates reportedly attempt to enter citadel. NATO naval asset in vicinity. At 1430 UTC (6 May) the vessel and crew reported safe and under escort by a warship. Reported (MDAT) 5 May. Via OCEANUSLive.org

Malaysia, Indonesia To Receive Six ScanEagle 2 UAS Each From Washington

Malaysia will receive six ScanEagle 2 Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) later this year while Indonesia will receive an equal number in 2022 under the United States funded Maritime Security Initiative (MSI).

US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver said during a media round-table in Kuala Lumpur last week that the Philippines had received six ScanEagle 2 UAS in 2018 as part of the MSI policy.

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Source: defenseworld.net

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

By Baibhav Mishra

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

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

Suspicious Approach – Indian Ocean (April 21st)

Two trawlers were involved in an incident at 0712 UTC in position 00:29S – 048:36E, approx 248nm SE of Mogadishu, Somalia. One trawler approached by two skiffs with 8-10 POB. Second trawler went to provide aid and was fired upon. Embarked AST returned fire and skiffs departed. Crew and vessels are SAFE. Reported (UKMTO) 21 Apr. Via: OCEANUSLive.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…

Spanish Patrol Boat Rescues Hijacked Ship Off Nigeria

A SPANISH patrol boat rescued a Nigerian merchant ship which had been kidnapped by pirates in the Guinean Gulf, reports the ministry of defence.

The P-71 Serviola is based on the west African coast and was carrying out security operations on Tuesday when its crew located the ship, which was navigating ‘erratically’ and without transmitting via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). Spanish Naval officials radioed the ship’s crew, who confirmed they had been hijacked four days ago.

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Source: oceanuslive.org