We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
KOTA KINABALU: The dawn-to-dusk curfew in Sabah’s east coast has been extended another two weeks from Tuesday (March 12), amid continuing threats from Abu Sayyaf-linked cross-border kidnap groups and other criminal elements.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said that the extension until March 27 was necessary due to the continuing threat of kidnap-for-ransom groups and other criminals from neighbouring Philippines.
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Source: thestar.com.my
By Ahmed Khan Malik
KARACHI: Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA ) has successfully conducted an intelligence based counter narcotics operation at Astola Island near Pasni.
PMSA deployed its fast response boats in Western Maritime Region. Last night, PMSA Fast Boats reached Astola Island and located 27 KGs synthetic heroine which was dumped in bags for further destination.
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Source: brecorder.com
Over a 24 hour period, Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 seized 4,085 kg of illegally smuggled hashish from two separate boarding operations by warships operating in the region.
On 27th February, 2019, Royal Navy warship, HMS Dragon, found a dhow off the coast of Oman in the Northern Arabian Sea which they assessed to be suspicious. HMS Dragon’s boarding team conducted a search of the vessel which resulted in a successful seizure of 100 bags of hashish, totaling in 2,040 kg.
The next day, on 28th February, Royal Australian Navy warship, HMAS Ballarat, also sailing off the coast of Oman, conducted a similar operation. A boarding and search operation of the dhow resulted in 2,045.60 kg of hashish.
In reaction to the drug seizures, Commodore Darren Garnier, Royal Canadian Navy, Commander CTF 150 said: “HMS Dragon and HMAS Ballarat have been instrumental in reducing the use of the high seas as a venue for illegal activities. These two very capable warships and their ships’ companies have each conducted six seizures to date, ensuring the funding of illegal narcotics is staying out of the hands of potential terrorist organizations. Bravo Zulu HMS Dragon and HMAS Ballarat for your continued support to CTF 150 operations.”
Combined Maritime Forces has three principle task forces: Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, which conducts counter-terrorism and maritime security operations; CTF 151, which conducts counter-piracy operations; and CTF 152, which conducts maritime security operations in the Middle East.
Captain Leif Maxfield, Deputy Commander CTF 150 added: “I am extremely proud of the hard work and meaningful interoperability between the international ships under our command and our CTF 150 Battle Watch. Our successes demonstrate the value the Combined Maritime Forces coalition brings to the table in improving maritime security in the area of operations.”
The Canadian-led CTF 150 Task Force, supported by the Royal Australian Navy, has now directed and overseen fifteen successful illegal narcotic interceptions in an area known as the ‘hash highway’. Since taking command on 6th December, 2018, the Task Force has now seized and destroyed over 28,000 kg of illegal narcotics.
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a multinational task force currently comprised of 33 nations. CMF operates three Combined Task Forces (CTFs) in order to conduct Maritime Security Operations. CTF 150 responsible for maritime security and counter terrorism operations. CTF 151 responsible for counter piracy operations. CTF 152 responsible for maritime security and counter terrorism with the Gulf.
Source: combinedmaritimeforces.com
Iran’s naval forces saved one of the country’s oil tankers from a pirate attack in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, a Navy official said.
According to the official, the pirates launched the attack early on Thursday on board 11 speed boats.
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Source: iranian.com
Maritime Security News Note:
Well. It’s been quite some time since the Iranian Navy claimed to have foiled a pirate attack. Few navies have killed as many invisible pirates as Iran’s, and the location of this incident is curious to say the least. It’s unlikely that Somali pirates would transit that far our of the Gulf of Aden, given the military traffic around Yemen’s coast. Additionally, for Somali pirates to muster 11 skiffs to attack… in 2019? There isn’t a pinch of salt big enough, frankly. Generally, contact in this area is usually from elements of the Saudi coalition, who often patrol the anchorages off Mocha and Hodeidah by speed boat, or Houthi militants. It’s also unlikely that the Iranians would engage Houthis in combat.
…277,040 crude oil, 23.1m litres AGO,1.2m DPK, lost to illegal refining …46 vessels arrested
By Evelyn Usman
One of the ills bedeviling the security space of the country’s coastline has been the scourge of maritime crimes such as piracy , sea robbery , crude oil theft , bunkering , insurgency and hostage taking.
Often times , Nigerians are daunted with news of criminal elements who hide under the veneer of these maritime crimes to inflict untold emotional and psychological trauma on innocent and defenseless sailors.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
By Godwin Oritse
THE Nigerian Trawler Owners Association, NITOA, and the Federal Department of Fishery and Agriculture, have said that there has been a drastic reduction in pirates attacks against fishing trawlers.
Speaking to Vanguard Maritime Report, President of the association, Mr. Amire Akinbola, said although he could not make the figures available to our correspondent, the report of such attacks was very minimal last year.
Maritime Security News Note:
This may well be the case for Nigerian fishermen, but it’s a different story for crew on other vessels. On Feb. 24th, eight Chinese crew were reportedly kidnapped from fishing vessels off Cameroon.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
The Philippines and Malaysia vowed on Thursday to ramp up their cooperation to address security issues in the region, particularly in combating terrorism, piracy and transnational crimes, including the fight against illegal drug trade.
“We resolved to address security issues. We touched on our extensive economic cooperation. We shared the view that its further expansion serves our mutual interests as that of ASEAN and our region,” Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said after his meeting with visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at the Malacanang presidential palace.
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Source: globaltimes.cn
Underway Malta-flagged tanker attacked and boarded by pirates at 2030 UTC in position 05:37N – 001:11E, around 30nm South of Lome, Togo. Crew mustered in citadel, however, three Romanian crew members were kidnapped. Remainder of 21 crew were able to sail vessel to Lome anchorage under escort. Reported (MDAT/Romanian MFA) 3 Mar. Via OCEANUSLive.org
Petro-piracy is emerging once again as a significant threat in West African waters, with the Gulf of Guinea at the epicentre, delegates at the 10th Chemical & Products Tanker Conference were told in London earlier this week.
David Fletcher, head of compliance at EOS Risk Group, said that as petro-piracy has re-emerged as a threat since January 2018, ships carrying cargoes such as jet fuel, diesel, crude oil and marine gas oil are all at greater risk.
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Source: seatrade-maritime.com
By DOROTHY MARK
ARMED pirates attacked a dinghy but left a mother and her baby, a 13-year-old girl and eight others unharmed. However, two others are still missing after they were forced to jump into the sea.
The terrifying drama unfolded at 3pm on Saturday when the dinghy, skippered by a man called Zebedi Moka, ran into six pirates armed with homemade guns, two bush knives and two catapults. Moka said the pirates ordered everyone, except the mother and her baby, to jump into the sea near the Kalibobo Lighthouse towards the Gogol River.
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Source: thenational.com.pg
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