Tag: kidnapping

Pirates kidnap four crew from Greek boat off Togo – Togo navy

LOME (Reuters) – Pirates attacked a Greek oil tanker off the coast of Togo in the early hours of Monday and fled after taking four crew members as hostages, the West African nation’s navy said, two days after a similar attack in the waters of neighbouring Benin.

Of the missing crew members, two are Filipinos, one is Greek and one is Georgian, the navy said in a statement. One security guard was also shot and wounded in the attack, it said. “Monday, 4th of November 2019, around 0300, the tanker boat Elka Aristotle […] was attacked around 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the port of Lome by armed individuals,” the statement said.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: euronews.com

Nine sailors abducted off the coast of Benin

MV Bonita, image via J.J. Ugland.

A Norway-based shipping company says that nine of its employees have been abducted from one of its vessels while it was moored off the coast of Benin in West Africa.

Shipping firm J.J. Ugland said the cargo ship, the Bonita, was attacked on Saturday by pirates 15km (9 miles) off the coast.

The crew’s identity and nationality have not been made public, but the shipping firm said the rest of the crew moved the vessel into the Port of Cotonou in Benin.

The ship was carrying a cargo of gypsum, a mineral commonly used as fertiliser, which was destined for Benin, the firm said.

While piracy has decreased world wide, West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea remains notorious for abductions by armed groups who usually demand ransoms for the safe return of victims.

Several abductions have been reported in the region in recent months, including eight crew members taken from a German-owned vessel off Cameroon in August, and 10 Turkish sailors off the coast of Nigeria in July.

Source: bbc.com

Multinational maritime exercise begins in Nigerian waters

by Lawal Sherifat

A five-day combined naval exercise has been flagged off in Nigerian waters. The maritime exercise, codenamed: “Grand African Nemo (Navy exercise for maritime operations) involves the participation of four Nigerian Navy ships and a helicopter.

The Exercise, being coordinated by the Nigerian Navy, according to a statement, Wednesday, by the naval spokesman, Commodore Sueman Dahun,” is aimed at supporting the efforts of regional navies to counter criminal activities in the maritime domain through different operational modes of planned exercises.”

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: vanguardngr.com

Detained jihadists apparently planning maritime attack

An Islamic State cell broken up last week planned to attack Casablanca and its port while a Syrian militant who assisted the group is at large, the head of Morocco’s BCIJ security agency said.

The group targeted economically sensitive sites in Casablanca and offshore, said Abdelhak Khiame, adding the jihadists, aged between 19 and 27, were radicalised online.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: defenceweb.co.za

Alleged Somali pirates accused of kidnapping hit with terrorism charges

Michael Scott Moore, image courtesy of SomaliaReport.com

By Andrew Denney

Two alleged Somali pirates previously accused of kidnapping an American journalist and holding him for more than two and a half years were hit with fresh federal charges on Wednesday — including new allegations they were working on behalf of terrorists.

Mohamed Thalil Mohamed and Abdi Hassad were previously hit with kidnapping raps in connection with the long captivity of Michael Scott Moore.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: nypost.com

‘No resurgence of kidnapping in Mindanao’

Roel Pareño

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Relentless military operations have prevented the resurgence of kidnapping in Mindanao.

Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said recent reports of kidnapping could be the handiwork of mid-level Abu Sayyaf leaders who are out to make a living.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: philstar.com

Curfew in ESSZone extended until Nov 11

KOTA KINABALU: The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), which ends tomorrow, has been extended to Nov 7, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah.

The curfew from 6 pm to 6 am covers the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran, he said in a statement today.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: theborneopost.com

India to have Central Marine Police Force to guard coastline

India has a vast coastline of 7,516 km touching 13 states and union territories. It also has around 1,197 islands.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs has completed the modalities of setting up a new armed force — Central Marine Police Force — to strengthen coastal security. A final proposal would be sent to the Cabinet by early next month for approval, a source in the ministry said on Saturday.

About the structure of the force, a senior ministry officer said, “Unlike other Central Armed Police Forces, the Central Marine Police Force will have it own cadre, rules, manual, Act, infrastructure and would be headed by a Director-General rank officer.”

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: telanganatoday.com

 

West Africa: the center of maritime piracy, armed robbery and kidnap

Jim Wilson

Nearly all maritime kidnappings and hostage-takings in the nine months to the end of September this year took place in or near the Gulf of Guinea, said global maritime piracy watchdog the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

New data from the IMB shows that worldwide there have been 70 actual kidnappings of seafarers and 49 hostage-takings year to date. The West African country of Guinea alone saw 23 hostage-takings, Nigeria a further 12 and the West African country of Togo an additional seven. Cameroon and Nigeria were hot spots for kidnapping, too.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: freightwaves.com

 

Security expert seeks collaboration among littoral states

By

Former President, Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN), Captain George Alily (rtd), has called for increased collaboration in information sharing among littoral states in the country to support the maritime security architecture being put in place by the government to secure the nation’s waterways against pirates’ attacks.

Speaking against the backdrop of the latest global piracy report released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) for the third quarter of 2019, which showed a reduction in cases of pirates attack in the country, Alily said the development is an indication that the Government was stepping up its efforts at improving maritime security.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: shipsandports.com.ng