Monthly Piracy Report for November 2013

On a monthly basis the Officer of the Watch Blog publishes a report regarding maritime piracy incidents. The report focuses mainly on vessels of the Merchant Navy (Bulk Carrier, Chemical Tankers, Containerships etc). Up until the date this report is being published the figures of maritime piracy related incidents worldwide, according to IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, are as follows:

Total Incidents Worldwide: 234
Total Hijackings Worldwide: 12
Somali related Incidents: 13
Nigeria related Incidents: 30

Below is an overview of the piracy related incidents in areas where they occurred during last month. The regions/areas mentioned below are the same areas that are being mentioned within the US ONI monthly report (North America, West Africa, Persian Gulf etc.).

The figures below are an extract from the monthly piracy report that is being released each month from Suritec. The full report developed by Suritec can be found by clicking HERE.

Figure above: Attacks East Africa and the HRZ – November 2013 (source: Suritec)

Figure above: Incidents in West Africa – November 2013 (source: Suritec)

Figure above: Incidents Southeast Asia – November 2013 (source: Suritec)

Figure above: Incidents in South America – November 2013 (source: Suritec)

PIRACY & ARMED ROBBERY REPORTS

The reports are referring to incidents occurred until last week of November.

Vessel type: Container ship. Flag: N/A. GRT: 5850. Date: 02/11/2013 – Time: 0330 LT. Position: 21° 40.00′ N – 8° 08.01′ E, Sagar Anchorage, India, Indian Ocean. 15 armed robbers boarded an anchored ship. OOW noticed the robbers stole ship’s store and raised the alarm. Seeing alerted crew the robbers jumped overboard and escaped.

Vessel type: N/A. Flag: Marshall Islands. GRT: 8689. Date: 04/11/2013 – Time: 1230 LT. Position: 3° 54.00′ N -98° 46.00′ E, Belawan Anchorage, Indonesia, South China. Sea Duty crew on board an anchored tanker spotted two boats nearby. Robbers attempted to board the tanker via anchor chain but alert crew thwarted the boarding. The second boat was hidden near the propeller and the crew could not chase them away with fire hoses. The propeller was turned on resulting in the robbers moving away.

Vessel type: Product tanker. Flag: Hong Kong, China. GRT: 29578. Date: 06/11/2013 – Time: 0330 LT. Position: 5° 40.00′ S – 46° 59.00′ E, Kenya, East Africa. One skiff with five heavily armed pirates approached a product tanker while underway. Alarm was raised, crew alerted, fire pumps started, speed increased, evasive manoeuvres made, SSAS alert activated and authorities were informed. The pirates fired at the tanker and the armed security on board returned fire. The skiff aborted the attack and moved away.

Vessel type: Tug. Flag: Singapore. GRT: 152. Date: 06/11/2013 – Time: 1245 LT. Position: 1° 21.25′ N – 104° 23.60′ E, 1.6 NM NNE of Horsburgh Light, Malaysia, South China Sea. Barge LKH 8338 was being towed by Singapore registered Tug Boat Kim Hock Tug 2. The unauthorised boarding by around 20 personal took place at Lat 01°21.25’N and Long 104°23.6’E (about 1.6nm x 335 deg from Horsburgh lighthouse.

Vessel type: Tanker. Flag: Panama. GRT: 1981. Date: 07/11/2013 – Time: 0330 LT. Position: 1° 20.00′ N – 103° 18.00′ E, Around 7.3nm West of Pulau Kukup, Malaysia, South China. Sea Ten pirates armed with guns and knives boarded and hijacked a product tanker underway. They tied up all the crew members and held them hostage in one cabin. Later they ordered the Master to steer the ship to a pre designated position. Another unknown orange hull tanker came alongside and the pirates forced the C/O and the bosun to use the cargo pumps and valves and the mooring winches to transfer the oil into the unknown tanker. At around 1600LT the pirates disembarked after transferring and stealing all the gas oil. Before leaving, the pirates also stole crew personal belongings.

Vessel type: Bulk carrier. Flag: Marshall Islands. GRT: 30000. Date: 08/11/2013 – Time: 0225 LT. Position: 1° 43.00′ S – 116° 38.00′ E, Adang Bay Anchorage, Indonesia, South China Sea. Six robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored ship. The duty A/B found the robbers and alerted the D/O who raised the alarm resulting in the robbers escaping empty handed.

Vessel type: LPG tanker. Flag: Panama. GRT: 3419. Date: 08/11/2013 – Time: 0250 LT. Position: Gas-PVC Phuc Thai Jetty, Go Dau, Viet Nam, South China Sea. Three robbers armed with a gun and knives boarded a berthed LPG tanker. The alert crew sounded the alarm and all crew mustered. Seeing crew alertness the robbers escaped with ship’s stores in a waiting wooden boat along with their two accomplices. Port control informed.

Vessel type: LPG tanker. Flag: Panama. GRT: 3419. Date: 08/11/2013 – Time: 0320 LT. Position: 10° 31.20′ N – 107° 10.90′ E, At Berth – GAS-PVC PHUC Thai Jetty. Five robbers (three boarded the vessel while two were standby in the wooden motor boat nearby) armed with knives and pistol boarded the vessel through fire wire rigged at the forecastle deck starboard bow.

Vessel type: Tanker. Flag: Denmark. GRT: 29242. Date: 09/11/2013 – Time: 1400 UTC. Position: 7° 19.80′ S – 48° 36.70′ E, Around 277nm NNW of Madagascar, Somalia, East Africa. About five to six pirates armed with rifles in a skiff approached a chemical tanker underway. OOW raised the alarm and the armed security team on board fired rocket flares followed by warning shots. The skiff closed in to a distance of 200meters and fired upon the tanker. Master increased speed, activated SSAS, sent distress message, fire hoses activated and the non-essential crew mustered in the citadel. The on board security team exchanged fire with the pirates resulting in the skiff aborting the attack.

Vessel type: Product tanker. Flag: N/A. GRT: 28054. Date: 11/11/2013 – Time: 0345 LT. Position: 1° 23.00′ N – 104° 42.00′ E, Indonesia, South China Sea. Seven robbers boarded an anchored tanker unnoticed and entered the engine room. Duty oiler noticed the robbers during his routine rounds and informed the duty engineer who raised the alarm. Seeing the alerted crew the robbers escaped with ship’s stores. All crew safe.

Vessel type: Product tanker. Flag: Singapore. GRT: 29289. Date: 16/11/2013 – Time: 1300 LT. Position: 3° 54.00′ N – 98° 46.00′ E, Belawan Anchorage, Indonesia, South China Sea. Duty OOW on board an anchored chemical tanker noticed a small wooden boat near the vessel. He informed the crew members who searched the vessel and noticed a robber stealing ship stores. Seeing the alerted crew the robber jumped overboard and escaped.

Vessel type: Tanker. Flag: Malta. GRT: 8515. Date: 19/11/2013 – Time: 0328 LT. Position: Freetown inner anchorage area, Sierra Leone, West Africa. Five robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored chemical tanker and stole ship’s properties. The deck watchman was attacked and held hostage during the robbery. Incident reported to port authority who sent a team for investigation.

Vessel type: Oil tanker. Flag: Liberia. GRT: 172146. Date: 21/11/2013 – Time: 0245 LT. Position: 22° 39.42′ N – 69° 55.20′ E, 3.6 NM north of Pirotan Island, Gujarat, India, Indian Ocean. The vessel was boarded by a group of 8 persons armed with knives and machetes using rope in dark hours, who escaped with ship’s stores on hearing alarm.

Vessel type: Chemical tanker. Flag: Panama. GRT: 159953. Date: 21/11/2013 – Time: 0300 LT. Position: 22° 38.06′ N – 69° 53.30′ E, India, Arabian Sea. An unknown number of personnel boarded the vessel and escaped with ship’s store, without knowledge of anyone on-board ship.

Vessel type: Product tanker. Flag: Panama. GRT: 11534. Date: 22/11/2013 – Time: 0600 LT. Position: Dumai Port, Indonesia, South China Sea. Robbers boarded a berthed product tanker unnoticed during cargo operations. They stole engine spares and escaped. The theft was noticed during routine rounds by the duty crew.

Vessel type: N/A. Flag: Indonesia. GRT: 22998. Date: 23/11/2013 – Time: 0330 LT. Position: 5° 59.00′ S – 106° 55.00′ E, Tg Priok Anchorage, Indonesia, South China Sea. Three robbers with knives boarded an anchored general cargo ship. The robbers entered the engine room through the boiler platform located on the poop deck. One of the robbers took hostage the motor man while the remaining two robbers stole engine spares and escaped. Port authorities were informed.

Vessel type: Bulk carrier. Flag: N/A. GRT: N/A. Date: 23/11/2013 – Time: 1220 LT. Position: Belawan anchorage, Indonesia, South China Sea. While at anchor, duty officer on bridge noticed one robber escaping from the vessel. Upon investigation it was discovered that the robber had managed to gain access to the forecastle store and had stolen ship equipment.

Vessel type: Tanker. Flag: Libya. GRT: 29304. Date: 24/11/2013 – Time: 0300 LT. Position: 1° 42.00′ N – 101° 29.00′ E, Dumai anchorage, Indonesia, South China Sea. While at anchor a wooden boat approached a chemical tanker at anchor. Robbers attempted to board the vessel via the poop deck and were spotted by alert crew who raised the alarm and started the fire pump. On seeing the crew alertness the robbers aborted the attempt and moved away.

Vessel type: Tug. Flag: Malaysia. GRT: 2558.Date: 24/11/2013 – Time: 0300 LT. Position: 4° 45.60′ S – 11° 49.90′ E, Pointe Noire, Congo, West Africa. One robber boarded the Offshore Tug at anchor. Duty watchman sighted the robber and alerted the duty officer who raised the alarm. On seeing the alerted crew the robber jumped overboard and escaped with ship’s stores. All crew safe.

Vessel type: N/A. Flag: Cyprus. GRT: 26611. Date: 25/11/2013 – Time: 0200 LT. Position: Berth No. 17,Kilindini Container Terminal, Kenya, East Africa. Robbers boarded a berthed container ship during cargo operations unnoticed, stolen ship stores and escaped. The robbery was noticed during routine rounds made by the duty crew.

Vessel type: LPG tanker. Flag: Norway. GRT: 13893. Date: 27/11/2013 – Time: 0410 LT. Position: 1° 25.00′ N – 104° 42.00′ E, 13nm NE off Bintan Island, Indonesia, South China Sea. While at anchor, deck watchmen noticed robbers boarding the vessel from the stern. Seeing the alerted crew the robbers aborted and escaped. Nothing stolen.

Vessel type: Tanker. Flag: Liberia. GRT: 58100. Date: 27/11/2013 – Time: 0438 LT. Position: 1° 06.00′ N – 103° 38.00′ E, Nipah Anchorage, Singapore, South China Sea. Three robbers with knives boarded an anchored crude oil tanker. Duty A/B on routine rounds noticed the robber near the paint store and informed the OOW who raised the alarm. Seeing the alerted crew the robber escaped without stealing anything.

Vessel type: Tanker. Flag: Greece. GRT: 161273. Date: 29/11/2013 – Time: 0410 LT. Position: 1° 06.00′ N – 103° 36.00′ E, Nipah Anchorage, Indonesia, South China Sea. While at anchor, a speed boat approached an anchored tanker. Alert crew spotted the boat and raised the alarm resulting in the boat aborting the attack and moving away.

For up to date live and accurate information please refer to

Information and news regarding maritime piracy can also be found in the following websites:

Maritime Piracy-Humanitarian Response to Piracy (MPHRP): A pan-industry alliance working together with one aim of assisting seafarers and their families with the humanitarian aspects of a traumatic incident caused by a piracy attack etc. MPHRP offers related training courses and additional information can be found in the publications section of the website.
EU NAVFOR Somalia: Website of the the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia which was established in response to the rising levels of piracy and armed robbery off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean. The website offers interesting news related to maritime piracy.
Maritime Security Centre Horn of Africa (MSCHOA): The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) aims to provide a service to mariners in the Gulf of Aden, the Somali Basin and off the Horn of Africa. The website includes many valuable information to registered users such as vessel movements, live advice etc.
NATO Shipping Centre: The NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) is the link between NATO naval forces and the merchant shipping community.
Oceans Beyond Piracy: Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) is a project of the One Earth Future Foundation, a privately funded and independent non-profit organization located in Colorado, USA. OBP is a response to maritime piracy through the mobilization of industry stakeholders, public-private partnerships.
IMO’s Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships Information Webpage.
Save our Seafarers: An international, not-for-profit, anti-piracy campaign which was launched in March 2011 by a group of five influential maritime associations.
United Nations National Legislation on Piracy
Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI): SAMI is a global organisation representing companies working in the maritime security industry and a focal point for global maritime security matters.
BIMCO GUARDCON: Standard contract for the employment of security guards on vessels. This contract has been developed to provide ship owners and private maritime security companies (PMSC) with a clearly worded and comprehensive standard contract to govern the employment and use of security guards, with or without firearms, on board merchant vessels.
Piracy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) by International Group of P&I Clubs
Strengthening Maritime Security in West & Central Africa (IMO)

The Officer of the Watch would like to thank SURITEC their contribution to this month’s Maritime Piracy Report:

Suritec. The Company was established in 2001 by a group of professionals with the goal of applying our background and expertise in knowledge management and intelligence to develop software and other technology solutions. Suritec’s present clients range from government departments, parastatals, commercial companies in the mining and retail sector to specialized crime and risk prevention consultancies. Suritec issues monthly Maritime Piracy Reports summarizing events related to maritime piracy. We would like to thank Suritec and Mrs. Lydelle Joubert for their kind permission to include part of their report in the OOW Monthly Maritime Piracy Report.