Pirates Capture Italian Tanker Bound for Chinese Convoy, Weekly Piracy Update

Summary of Global Maritime Crime and Piracy, week of 22 December 2011 (Source: ONI)

ECUADOR: Container ship boarded by five robbers with long knives on 27 December at 0145 LT while anchored in position 02:21.4S – 079:59.9W in the Guayaquil Inner Anchorage.  They broke open three containers, but escaped without stealing anything after seeing alert duty  crew. After the coast guard was informed a patrol boat came to investigate. (IMB)

PERU: Tanker boarded on 22 December at 0400 LT while anchored in position 04:34.2S – 081:18.8W in the Talara Anchorage. Robbers boarded and entered the forward store. Alert duty watchman spotted the hawse pipe cover was open and alerted the officer of the watch who raised the alarm. After the crew alerted the robbers escaped without stealing anything. Incident reported to harbor master via port agents. (IMB)

ARABIAN SEA: Chemical tanker (ENRICO IEVOLI) hijacked by five pirates in one speedboat on 27 December at 0403 UTC while underway in position 18:18N – 057:36E, approximately 216 nm northeast of Salalah, Oman. The vessel was transiting from Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, to the Mediterranean Sea with a cargo of 15,750 tons of caustic soda when it was hijacked. Right before it was hijacked, the vessel was transiting to the rendezvous point for the Chinese armed convoy. The crew of 18 includes seven Indians, six Italians, and five Ukrainians. (UKMTO, Open Source)

INDONESIA: Chemical tanker boarded and robbed by three people on 25 December at 0100 LT while anchored in position 01:42.4N – 101:28.6E, while in the Dumai Inner Anchorage. They entered the engine room through the engine room’s skylight door and stole generator spares. The fourth engineer spotted the robbers as they left the engine room and raised the alarm. (IMB)

INDONESIA:  Barge boarded on 24 December at 0930 LT while it was being towed by a tug in position 01:10N – 103:39E, approximately 15 nm southwest of Singapore, at Western Boarding Ground ‘B’. Robbers disguised themselves as merchants in boats attempting to sell items. Some of them approached the barge from right astern, boarded it, and stole items. Later a Singapore Navy ship chased the boats away. After the naval vessel left, the small boats approached the tug and barge again, but were not able to board either vessel. (IMB)

Weather Forecast for 29 DEC – 4 JAN

A. GULF OF ADEN: A continuous easterly wind flow will continue over the next week. Expect moderate winds (ENE 13 – 18) and seas (2 – 4 feet) to persist through the next 72 hours. EXTENDED FORECAST: Winds will maintain (ENE 13 – 18) throughout the forecast period. Seas will decrease to 1 – 3 feet by 2 Jan.

B. SOMALI COAST: NE monsoonal flow off the Somali coast continues to produce moderate to severe impacts in the area. Expect high winds and seas (NNE 20 – 25, 5 – 7 feet) through the next 72 hours. EXTENDED FORECAST: Winds will decrease (NE 15 – 20) by 2 Jan and seas will remain 5 – 7 feet throughout the forecast period.

C. NORTH ARABIAN SEA: Winds (NNE 13 – 18) will cover the North Arabian Sea with seas 2 – 4 feet through the next 72 hours. EXTENDED FORECAST: Winds will decrease (NE 8 – 13) by 3 Jan and seas will remain 2 – 4 feet, having little to no impacts to small boat operations.

D. INDIAN OCEAN: Area storms continue to provide for the main cause of wind flow and sea states off the Tanzanian and Kenyan coasts. Residual swell waves from the Somali Basin region continue to provide some impacts, but overall conditions will remain moderate (winds NNE 15 – 20, 3 – 5 feet, increasing to 5 – 7 feet by 30 Dec) through the next 72 hours. Madagascar continues to provide shelter from transiting storms. Winds will be variable (NW 5 – 10) and seas 2 – 3 feet in the Mozambique Channel. Expect occasional transiting storms to increase winds and seas (NW 15 – 20, gusts 30, 3 – 5 feet) by 30 Dec; these should produce marginal impacts to small boat operations. EXTENDED FORECAST: Small boat operations off the Tanzania and Kenyan coasts will be impacted by transiting storms causing increased winds (NW 15 – 20, gusts 30) and increased seas (3 – 5 feet) through forecast period.

E. SURFACE CURRENTS: Currents within the Somalia Basin, Gulf of Aden, and into the Indian Ocean remain variable with most areas having average speeds of less than 2 knots. An area of increased speed exists along the Somali coast, continuing south off the northern Kenya coastline. This NE to SW current is moving at speeds in excess of 3 knots.