Monthly Piracy Report for February 2014

Incidents off the West African coast are currently slightly higher than in Southeast Asia, a position last held by West Africa in 2008, the year in which a total of 39 crew members were kidnapped for ransom off various vessels mostly in the oil industry in Nigeria. Up until the date this report is being published the areas of maritime piracy related incidents worldwide are as follows:

• Arabian Sea: 1
• East Africa: 2
• Malacca Strait: 2
• South China Sea: 5
• West Africa: 5
• Indian Ocean: 4

Kidnappings were highly political at that time and were underreported as well. Kidnappings seem once again to be on the increase in Nigeria with four confirmed kidnappings in Nigerian waters in 2014 alone. Masters and Chief Engineers are currently the preferred targets.

Nine incidents and two unconfirmed incidents were reported off the West African coast in February 2014. Several attacks were clustered off Brass, Nigeria.

Mend or factions in Mend have been involved in three incidents since April 2013, Incidents in Southeast Asia are still in an upward trend. Incidents off Pulau Bitan, Indonesia, the Singapore Straits and Bangladesh, have been on the increase but the overall trend still falls within the 2013 pattern.

Two incidents were recorded in the Indian Ocean and the HRZ neither of them successful.

Below is an overview of the piracy related incidents in areas where they occurred during last month.

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.

Attacks East Africa and the HRZ – February 2014 (source: Suritec)

Incidents Southeast Asia – February 2014 (source: Suritec)

Incidents in West Africa – February 2014 (source: Suritec)

Incidents in the Caribbean and South America – February 2014 (source: Suritec)

PIRACY & ARMED ROBBERY REPORTS

Date: 1-Feb-14. Time: 2:45. Vessel type: Oil Tanker. Flag: Liberia. GRT: 13402. Position: 1° 42.60′ N – 101° 25.60′ E. Location: Dumai Inner Anchorage, Indonesia. Area: South China Sea. Five robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored tanker unnoticed. The duty watch on board during routine rounds noticed some foot prints in the engine room and immediately informed the OOW on the bridge who raised alarm and alerted the crew. On hearing the alarm the robbers escaped in their boat with the stolen stores.

Date: 4-Feb-14. Time: 0:55. Vessel type: General cargo ship. Flag: Netherlands. GRT: 3153. Position: 1° 06.00′ N – 104° 16.00′ E. Location: Pointe Noire Roads, Congo. Area: West Africa. During routine rounds duty OOW onboard an anchored ship noticed four robbers near the stern lowering ship’s stores into a wooden boat. He saw two wooden boats with three robbers in each boat. The robbers threatened the OOW with knives, when he tried to stop them from stealing the ropes. He escaped and informed the duty officer on the bridge who raised the alarm, alerted the crew and informed the coast guard. The coast guard arrived and boarded the ship and interviewed the crew and promised to apprehend the robbers.

Date: 5-Feb-14. Time: 3:00. Vessel type: Oil Tanker. Flag: Saudi Arabia. GRT: 29168. Position: 1° 25.00′ N – 104° 34.00′ E. Location: Around 11nm North of Tg. Berakit, Indonesia. Area: South China Sea. Watchmen on a drifting tanker sighted a skiff with six persons armed with rifles approaching the tanker and looking for a way to board the tanker using a rope and hook. Alarm raised and SSAS alert activated. Seeing crew alertness the pirates aborted the attempt and moved away. Prior to the skiff approaching a vessel was noticed, via radar, stopping around 2nm from the tanker’s position.

Date: 5-Feb-14. Time: 22:25. Vessel type: Bulk carrier. Flag: Panama. GRT: 18465. Position: 22° 12.00′ N – 91° 45.00′ E. Location: Chittagong Anchorage, Bangladesh. Area: Indian Ocean. Five pirates armed with knives boarded a general cargo ship underway, entered the engine room and aggressively approached the duty crew who immediately left the engine room and informed the bridge. Alarm raised, all crew mustered on the bridge and SSAS activated. Later a complete search of the vessel was carried out.

Date: 5-Feb-14. Time: 23:30. Vessel type: Oil Tanker. Flag: NA. GRT: 81282. Position: 3° 46.00′ N – 6° 24.00′ E. Location: Around 30nm South East of Brass Terminal, Nigeria. Area: West Africa. Seven pirates armed with knives boarded a container ship underway, entered the engine room and tied up the electrical officer. They then stole the engine spares as well as the electrical officer’s mobile phone. The electrician managed to untie himself and informed the bridge. Ship’s alarm raised and distress message sent out.

Date: 6-Feb-14. Time: 6:15. Vessel type: General cargo ship. Flag: Singapore. GRT: 13274. Position: 1° 03.00′ N – 103° 36.00′ E. Location: Malacca Straits, Singapore. Area: Malacca Strait. Eight armed robbers in a speed boat chased the tanker underway. The tanker raised alarm, made evasive manoeuvres, sent distress message and activated the SSAS alert. The robbers manoeuvred alongside the tanker, and boarded using a long ladder. The crew cut off the power in the tanker and retreated into the citadel. After around five hours the crew emerged and noticed the pirates had used sledge hammers to break into stores and cabins. Tanker’s communication equipment was also destroyed. The crew managed to start the emergency generators and other necessary machinery, informed the owners and sailed the tanker to Lagos.

Date: 6-Feb-14. Time: 6:30. Vessel type: Containership. Flag: Singapore. GRT: 2714. Position: 1° 05.00′ N – 103° 33.00′ E. Location: Malaaca Straits, Singapore. Area: Malacca Strait. Four robbers boarded a chemical tanker at berth. Alert duty A/B noticed the robbers and raised the alarm. Crew mustered and proceeded towards the forward store. Seeing the ship’s crew, the robbers escaped with ship’s properties. Port control informed.

Date: 6-Feb-14. Time: 10:55. Vessel type: Oil Tanker. Flag: NA. GRT: 8251. Position: 4° 01.00′ N – 5° 01.00′ E. Location: Around 75nm WSW of Brass, Panama. Area: West Africa. Twelve pirates in three skiffs approached a general cargo ship underway. The skiffs approached at high speed from the port and starboard side and closed to around 500meters from the ship. Possible ladder identified in a skiff. Alarm raised, authorities informed, crew mustered in the citadel and flares fired in the direction of the skiff. As the skiffs continued to approach the private armed security fired warning shots resulting in the skiffs stopping and aborting the approach.

Date: 7-Feb-14. Time: 20:00. Vessel type: Oil Tanker. Flag: Singapore. GRT: 7284. Position: 3° 47.00′ N – 98° 41.00′ E. Location: Wharf 106,Belawan Port, Indonesia. Area: South China Sea. Six robbers armed with guns and long knives in a small boat approached and boarded an anchored ship. Duty oiler noticed the robbers in the engine room and informed the D/O on the bridge. Alarm raised, ship’s whistle sounded, SSAS activated and all crew mustered on the bridge. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers were seen exiting the engine room and escaping in their boat. Crew searched the vessel and found nothing stolen.

Date: 8-Feb-14. Time: 4:20. Vessel type: General cargo ship. Flag: Gibraltar (UK). GRT: 3198. Position: 12° 24.00′ N – 43° 32.00′ E. Location: Gulf of Aden. Area: East Africa. Robbers boarded an anchored tanker unnoticed and escaped with ship’s properties. Port Control informed.

Date: 10-Feb-14. Time: 3:30. Vessel type: Bulk carrier. Flag: Liberia. GRT: 81058. Position: 1° 21.00′ N – 104° 41.00′ E. Location: Around 10nm NE of Tg. Berakit, Pulau Bintan, Indonesia. Area: South China Sea. Five persons armed with guns chased and fired upon the ship underway. The on-board armed security team returned fire and after around 20 minutes the persons aborted the attempt and moved away. On deck containers sustained minor bullet hole damage. Ship and crew safe.

Date: 10-Feb-14. Time: 4:05. Vessel type: LPG Tanker. Flag: Singapore. GRT: 47266. Position: 17° 37.00′ N – 83° 24.00′ E. Location: Visakhapatnam Anchorage, India. Area: Indian Ocean. Duty A/B on routine rounds on board an anchored container ship noticed an unlit small wooden boat leaving the stern of the ship. The A/B immediately informed the bridge and the OWW raised the alarm. On searching the vessel it was found that engine room stores had been stolen.

Date: 13-Feb-14. Time: 1:07. Vessel type: Ro-Ro Cargo Ship. Flag: Sierra Leone. GRT: 4291. Position: 1° 07.00′ N – 44° 34.00′ E. Location: North of Barawe, Somalia. Area: East Africa. Six pirates in a small boat approached a tanker underway and tried to hook on a boarding ladder. Alarm raised and vessel immediately started taking evasive manoeuvres. The pirates tried to hook on the ladder several times at different positions along the port and starboard quarters. The onboard armed security team fired warning shots resulting in the pirates aborting the attempt and moving away.

Date: 14-Feb-14. Time: 20:30. Vessel type: Containership. Flag: Antigua & Barbuda. GRT: 9957.Position: 5° 59.90′ S – 106° 55.60′ E. Location: Jakarta Roads, Indonesia. Area: South China Sea. Robbers boarded an anchored supply ship using a piece of rope.

Date: 19-Feb-14. Time: 4:45. Vessel type: Product tanker. Flag: NA. GRT: 4847.Position: 3° 57.00′ N – 5° 18.00′ E. Location: Pennington Oil Terminal, Nigeria. Area: West Africa
A tug towing a general cargo vessel underway noticed five fishing boats approaching the general cargo vessel. Two fishing boats came alongside and pirates boarded the vessel and were seen lowering the ship property and stores. At the time of the incident the vessel under tow was not manned as it was underway for scrap.

Date: 20-Feb-14. Time: 1:50. Vessel type: Supply ship. Flag: Hong Kong. GRT: 3427. Position: 4° 54.00′ S – 11° 49.20′ E. Location: Pointe Noire Anchorage, Congo. Area: West Africa. Ten robbers in an unlit wooden boat armed with knives approached an anchored tanker. Two robbers boarded the tanker using grappling hooks and stole ship’s stores and property. The duty A/B noticed the robbers and informed the bridge. Alarm raised, ship’s whistle sounded and crew rushed to the location. Seeing the alert crew, the robbers jumped overboard with the stolen items and escaped in their boat with their accomplices.

Date: 20-Feb-14. Time: 11:40. Vessel type: Tug. Flag: Singapore. GRT: 261. Position: 21° 00.00′ N – 91° 37.00′ E. Location: Around 25nm off coastline, Bangladesh. Area: Indian Ocean. A bulk carrier underway was chased by a skiff for approximately four hours. The vessel took evasive measures as per BMP4, reported to UKMTO and headed toward the Pakistani coast for assistance. The Pakistani Navy deployed a Naval asset which located the skiff and detained the suspected pirates.

Date: 24-Feb-14. Time: 22:45. Vessel type: Oil Tanker. Flag: Hong Kong. GRT: 29266. Position: 22° 15.80′ N – 91° 43.20′ E. Location: Chittagong Anchorage, Bangladesh. Area: Indian Ocean. Five robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored tanker unnoticed. The duty watch on board during routine rounds noticed some foot prints in the engine room and immediately informed the OOW on the bridge who raised alarm and alerted the crew. On hearing the alarm the robbers escaped in their boat with the stolen stores.

Date: 28-Feb-14. Time: 13:00. Vessel type: Bulk carrier. Flag: Bangladesh. GRT: 16608. Position: 22° 33.00′ N – 62° 44.00′ E. Location: Around 40nm SE off Gwadar, Pakistan. Area: Arabian Sea. During routine rounds duty OOW onboard an anchored ship noticed four robbers near the stern lowering ship’s stores into a wooden boat. He saw two wooden boats with three robbers in each boat. The robbers threatened the OOW with knives, when he tried to stop them from stealing the ropes. He escaped and informed the duty officer on the bridge who raised the alarm, alerted the crew and informed the coast guard. The coast guard arrived and boarded the ship and interviewed the crew and promised to apprehend the robbers.

For up to date live and accurate information please refer to

1. ICC Commercial Crime Services (CCS)
2. IMB Piracy News and Figures
3. IMB Live Piracy Report
4. IMB Piracy & Armed Robbery Map
5. IMO Global Integrated Shipping Information System
6. US Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. NATO Shipping Centre: The NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) is the link between NATO naval forces and the merchant shipping community.
5. 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.
6. IMO’s Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships Information Webpage.
7. 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.
8. United Nations National Legislation on Piracy
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. Piracy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) by International Group of P&I Clubs
12. 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 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.