Category Archives: Piracy

Piracy on rise in South East Asia amidst continuing security challenges

The regional measures that followed the spike of piracy in South East Asia in the early 2000s are widely, and rightly, hailed as a successful example of maritime security co-operation. However, piracy is now undergoing a dramatic increase again in the region, with Indonesian waters now suffering the largest number of attacks worldwide as the pirates increasingly adapt to the new security situation.

In 2003, piracy reached record highs in South East Asia, with 445 incidents reported in Indonesian waters and similarly high levels in other regional nations. Following this, the nations that border the strategically crucial Straits of Malacca (Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, with some assistance from Thailand and India) made moves to improve their naval co-operation in order to deal with the growing piracy crisis. Well publicised publicity campaigns with dramatic pictures of large warships patrolling the Straits highlighted a significantly more robust security posture, which saw a drastic reduction in rates of piracy.

This attempt to present a ‘United Front’ masks many legitimate issues between the nations – extremely disparate geographical positions, economies, military expenditure and naval strength all continue to cause friction. However the attempt at regional co-operation was broadly successful for several years, and even now with piracy once more on the rise through South East Asia, the Straits of Malacca themselves remain broadly safe for international shipping (at least compared to the past).

However, with a 440% increase in piracy in Indonesian waters between 2009 and 2012, it appears that the security response is now proving less effective than previously. This is largely because pirates have adapted to the new security situation. Instead of attempting to attack and hijack vessels in transit in the Straits of Malacca, they instead focus on boarding and robbing ships berthed in the Indonesian harbours along the Straits. From 2004 to December last year, Indonesian anchorages were placed on the U.S Coast Guard port advisory list because of their poor security, a ban only lifted following some American investment and training. It is worth noting that the US was concerned primarily with counter-terrorist performance, and many nominal improvements directed at preventing piracy and armed robberies are likely ineffective.

Similarly, pirates have also moved their bases of operations to avoid the naval forces and attack ships entering or exiting the Straits. Instead of their traditional bases actually in the Straits of Malacca themselves, many are now based to the south, using secretive parts of Jambi province for their hideaways. Others have moved east towards the South China Sea, and operate instead on the open seas far from coasts and patrols. The isolated island groups in these areas, such as the Anambas and Natuna islands, are remote and located close to the major international shipping lanes entering the Straits. Another island, Pulau Batam near Singapore, has also emerged as another favoured base of operations – as a source of cheap manufacturing for Singapore, severe economic difficulties and influxes of poor migrants have provided both the motivation and a ready labour pool, including local fisherman, for piracy targeted at ships in the Malacca straits. These coastal regions are remote and covered with mangrove swamps and shallow inlets and estuaries – perfect locations for hiding pirate vessels.

So far, it appears the nations in this region, particularly Indonesia, are failing to make the necessary adaptations to the new environment, leading to the resurgence of piracy in the region. The authorities tend to focus purely on the military and political aspects of piracy, with no attempts to deal with the root economic causes. The large warships that protect the Straits of Malacca are in general too big to track pirates back to their bases, with this task usually left to lower level local law enforcement, often equipped only with small wooden boats. This problem is particularly pronounced in Indonesia, which has the weakest navy in the region and the largest coastline, and as the world’s largest archipelagic nation has over 18’000 islands perfectly suited to hiding pirate activity. Until a new security approach is taken that accounts for the now changed environment, it appears that the trend of increasing piracy in South East Asia will continue.

West Africa Piracy Report

Hijacks

• 12 August 2013 – About 11 pirates armed with guns boarded and hijacked a Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker, the SP Atlanta, at anchor at 0330 LT in Lagos Anchorage, Nigeria.  They stole the crew members personal belongings and caused minor injuries to those on board the tanker.  Update (13 August 2013) – The vessel was released and safely arrived at Lagos anchorage.  No further details have been released.

Unsuccessful Attacks/Robberies

• 15 August 2013 – About 8 – 10 robbers in a speed boat tried to place a hook to the railings of a chemical tanker at 0240 UTC at Lagos anchorage, Nigeria.  Robbers were spotted by the crew and the alarm was raised.  Other ships were informed on the VHF Radio.  Local authorities were informed and a naval patrol arrived at the location and conducted a search, resulting in the boat moving away from the vessel.  The vessel has been reported safe.
• 12 August 2013 – Nigeria-flagged OSV came under attack at 2140 UTC, about 35 nautical miles off the Nigerian Coast.  Two gunboats with approximately 7 – 8 pirates on board fired upon the OSV.  A patrol boat was in the location and responded to the emergency calls.  Patrol boat exchanged fire with the pirates.  Pirate boats then headed north at a high speed.
• 11 August 2013 – Robbers in a small skiff approached an anchored Liberia-flagged product tanker, FPMC 25, at 0005 LT, Lagos anchorage, Nigeria.  Master raised the alarm and all crew members were mustered into the citadel.  The armed security team on board the vessel fired warning shots, resulting in the skiff moving away.
• 31 July 2013 (Late Report) – Robbers boarded an anchored Cayman Islands UK-flagged bulk carrier, the Athos, at 2300 LT while in Abidjan anchorage, Cote d’Ivoire.  The robbers used a long pole with a hook in order to board the vessel.  The crew members on board the bulk carrier spotted the robbers and raised the alarm.  Upon hearing this, the robbers escaped on a wooden boat.  All crew has been reported safe and nothing was stolen.
• 30 July 2013 (Late Report) – A gunboat claiming to be a Nigerian boat called a Hong-Kong-flagged chemical tanker, the High Jupiter, on VHF, requesting details of the tanker, cargo, last and next ports.  The call was made at 1345 LT while the tanker was about 45 nautical miles south of Brass, Nigeria.  This information was passed to the gun boat.  Around fifteen minutes later, the gun boat approached the tanker at a high speed, demanding that the tanker stop and permit boarding.  The Master informed that he would not be stopping as the area was a high risk for piracy attacks.  The gunboat threatened and followed the tanker for 20 minutes during which two shots were fired in the air.  The Master of the chemical tanker raised the alarm over VHF and requested ships in the vicinity to relay its message to port control which was not responding to its calls.  Upon hearing the VHF alarm, the gunboat moved away from the chemical tanker.  The tanker and its crew members has been reported safe.

 Weather Analysis

• Gulf of Guinea – South-southwest winds of 10 – 15 knots and seas of 4 – 6 feet.

• Extended Forecast – South-southwest winds of 10 – 15 knots and seas of 4 – 6 feet.

• Synoptic Discussion – The Gulf of Guinea is under the influence of high and low pressure systems, bringing strong southerly winds and moisture into the area.  Expect mostly cloudy conditions with rain showers and possible thunderstorms.

Report on Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea

Hijacks

• 16 July 2013 – Armed pirates in two speedboats approached, boarded and hijacked a Marshall Islands-flagged product tanker, the Ocean Centurion, at 0430 LT, approximately 45 nautical miles south-east of Lome, Togo.  They took hostage all the crew members on board the tanker, stole their personal belongings and ordered the Master to sail south and then north towards the Togo/Benin border where they disembarked and escaped via a speedboat, 12 nautical miles from the coastline.  The Togo Navy was informed about the hijacking and a patrol boat was dispatched which escorted the tanker to the Lome anchorage for investigation.  Two crew members on board the tanker were injured during the incident and were transferred to a clinic for medical attention.
• 14 July 2013 – Officials confirmed on Monday that pirates have seized a Malta-flagged, Turkey-owned tanker, the MV Cotton, off the coast of Port-Gentil, Gabon.  The vessel has twenty-four crew members on board, all of which are Indian nationals.

Unsuccessful Attacks/Robberies

• 19 July 2013 – Vanuatu-flagged, US-operates OSV, the C Viking, reported being attacked by pirates at 01:00 LT near position 04:18 N – 007:46E, Usari field, offshore Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.  The crew members on board the OSV were mustered into the citadel; no injuries were reported.  Pirates looted the vessel, including the bridge, and destroyed some bridge equipment before departing.  This is reportedly the second time that the C Viking was attacked by pirates in the same area.
• 18 July 2013 – Duty Officer on board an anchored USA-flagged bulk carrier, the Liberty Grace, spotted an unlit skiff with 5 – 6 persons on board approaching the bulk carrier at 0150 UTC in position 06:05N – 001:17E, approximately 3 nautical miles off Lome breakwater, Togo.  The Duty Officer directed the ship’s search light towards the skiff, raised the alarm and activated the fire hoses.  The Togo Navy was called.  It was observed by the crew members on board the carrier that the robbers, who were wearing hoods pulled over their heads, were attempting to board the vessel using a pole and hook.  Three flares were fired in the direction of the skiff.  Seeing the crew members’ alertness, the robbers aborted the attempt and moved away.  During the incident, another two skiffs were observed close to the vessel.  A Togolese Navy boat later arrived on location.  The bulk carrier has been reported as safe.
• 14 July 2013 – Around twenty armed robbers in a speed boat approached and boarded a Gabon-flagged landing craft, the Renovation, while underway at 2246 UTC in position 00:29S – 008:51E, Port Gentil, Gabon.  The robbers stole the crew’s personal belongings and escaped.  Port maritime authority was notified of the incident.  No injuries to the crew members not any damage to the vessel was sustained during the incident.

Suspicious Activity 

• 10 July 2013 – Armed security personnel on board an anchored chemical tanker noticed a small boat with an unknown number of persons approaching at 0330 UTC while in position 06:17.8N – 003:21.2E, around 5.4 nautical miles south-west of Fairway Buoy, Lagos Anchorage, Nigeria.  As the boat continued its approach to within 50 metres of the vessel, the armed team fired one warning shot, resulting in the boat moving away.

Weather Analysis

• Gulf of Guinea – Southerly winds of 10 – 15 knots and seas of 4 – 6 feet.

• Extended Forecast – Southerly winds of 10 – 15 knots and seas of 4 – 6 feet.

Piracy Incidents in Asia – June 2013

Summary

There were 16 reported incidents during the month of June, 2013. This represents a notable increase compared with May, which was relatively quiet, and highlights the continuing trend of increased piracy in the region. This is over triple the number of incidents occurring in June 2012 and 2011, and is the highest rate of incidents in the month of June since 2008.

All reported incidents occurred in the South East Asian region, with none in the North East Asia or Pacific regions.

Incident Occurrences by Country

Indonesia – 12

Malaysia – 3

India – 1

Reported Incidents

3^rd June, Indonesia – SPAR LIBRA boarded at Maura Jawa anchorage. Unsuccessful attempted robbery.

3^rd June, Indonesia – attempted boarding of ATLANTIC CANYON at Belawan Anchorage.

8^th June, Indonesia – BANDAI V boarded at Belawan Anchorage. Unsuccessful armed robbery.

9^th June, Malaysia – tug PU2417 boarded 6nm off Terengganu. Robbers armed with knives and firearms stole fuel and belongings.

9^th June, Malaysia – an unnamed tug 30nm east of Kerteh, Terengganu was boarded by armed pirates, who took all crew members hostage before stealing property.

10^th June, Indonesia – ANNA BARBARA boarded and robbed at Taboneo Anchorage.

12^th June, Indonesia – attempted robber of SENTOSA RIVER at Senipah Tanker Anchorage, Balikpapan.

13^th June, Indonesia – armed robbers boarded EAGLE SAN JUAN and stole property.

13^th June, Indonesia – CSK BRILLIANCE boarded at Maura Jawa anchorage. Armed pirates took crew members hostage and stole property. One crew member was injured.

15^th June, Indonesia – attempted boarded of EMERALD STAR at Taboneo Anchorage.

16^th June, Indonesia – attempted armed robbery of CMA CGM KAILAS at Jakarta Cargo Anchorage.

17^th June, Malaysia – KING RIVER boarded 8nm west-northwest of Lutong, Sarawak. Aggressive pirates took hostage and beat most of the crew before escaping with property.

19^th June, Indonesia – OCEAN GARNET boarded by armed robbers at Muara Jawa anchorage. Property stolen.

20^th June, Indonesia – SENNA JUMBO boarded by armed robbers at Nipah Transit anchorage. One crew member threatened with a knife and property stolen.

27^th June, Indonesia – attempted boarding of unnamed tanker at Jakarta Tanker Anchorage.

30^th June, India – successful robbery of unnamed tanker at Kandla Inner Anchorage.

West Africa Piracy Report

Unsuccessful Attacks/Robberies

• 19 June 2013 – Five pirates armed with machine guns boarded a general cargo ship at anchor between 0145 – 0245 LT while in position 09:14N – 013:57.3W, around 25 nautical miles south-west of Conakry, Guinea.  Pirates threatened the crew, stole the ship’s cash and crew’s personal belongings and then escaped.  All crew members on the vessel are safe.
• 13 June 2012 – Offshore supply vessel underway was reported attacked and boarded by pirates at 0320 LT in position 04:20.65N – 008:02.13E, approximately 7 nautical miles south-southwest from the OFON oil field at 30 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria.  It is understood that 2 speed boats with 2 outboards engines each carrying 14 gunmen, none of which were masked, launched the attack.  The pirates were armed with AK-47’s.  After stealing personal items and belongings, reportedly, 4 expat crew members were taken hostage, understood to be Polish (Chief Engineer) and 3 Indians (Captain, Chief Officer and Bosun).
• 3 June 2013 (Late Report) – While at anchor, an unknown number of robbers attempted to board a Singapore-flagged chemical tanker, Rhino, while in position 06:16.50N – 003:20.7E, Lagos anchorage, Nigeria.  The robbers boarded through the hawse pipe via chain locker and exchanged gunfire with the Nigerian naval personnel on board.  The general alarm was activated and all the crew members on board the tanker were mustered in the citadel.  The robbers’ boat eventually left after 20 minutes.  None of the crew members were injured.  There were six bullet hull marks on the forward hull plate however nothing was stolen.

Piracy News

• 18 June 2013 – A French sailor who was kidnapped from a tanker in Togo, when attackers sought to use him as a shield, has been freed in the oil-producing region of Nigeria.  Benjamin Elman indicated to media that he was taken as a shield when naval patrol sought to free the French-flagged vessel on Thursday.  During a brief press conference, he indicated that “the navy officers negotiated the release of other crew members but…the pirates held me to ensure that they escape.”  He then indicated that he was taken to a village and fed bread and water.  Adding that the kidnappers were not violent.  According to military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, soldiers “invaded the kidnapers’ camp and rescued him last night.. No one was arrested as the criminals had abandoned the camp on learning of the soldiers’ approach.”  He further noted that the military had acted on intelligence and that they had the cooperation of youths in the Amatu 1 community which is located in Bayelsa state in the Niger Delta region.  France-based Sea Tanker Shipping is the operator of the vessel, however the company has not made any comments pertaining to the release of the sailor.  On Monday, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported that a French-flagged tanker had been released after it was hijacked four days earlier in the region.  Although IMB did not release the name of the tanker, it appears to be the same incident.  The owners lost contact with their vessel on Thursday while it was in the Gulf of Guinea, just off the coast of Togo, leading the IMB to issue a warning to other ships transiting the region.  It is currently unclear if a ransom was paid for the release of the French sailor.