Weekly Maritime Crime and Piracy Report: Week of 2 June 2011

Worldwide Maritime Crime and Piracy Summary: Week of 2 June 2011

GULF OF ADEN:

• Bulk carrier (ACHILLEAS) was fired upon by one skiff with 7-8 pirates onboard 7 June at 1339 UTC while underway in position 13:33N – 050:27E, approximately 179NM northwest of Socotra Island, Yemen.  Vessel was attacked with small arms.  Armed security fired warning shots, and the skiff aborted the attack.   (Commercial Sources, UKMTO)

ARABIAN SEA:

• Bulk carrier (EMPEROR) was fired upon 6 June at 1208 UTC while underway in position 14:10N – 052:18E, approximately 114NM northwest of Socotra Island, Yemen. Two skiffs with a total of 10-15 pirates onboard attacked the vessel.  EMPEROR deployed armed security team, crew went into the citadel, and vessel engaged in evasive maneuvers.  The skiffs then aborted the attack. (Open sources, IMB, Operator)

SINGAPORE:

• An LPG tanker was robbed 6 June at 1500 UTC while underway in position 01:09N – 103:48E, approximately 11NM southwest of Singapore.  Eight masked robbers on one speed boat boarded the tanker at the starboard quarter.  The robbers were armed with long knives.  The robbers took mobile phones, laptops, and cash before escaping. (Commercial Sources)

BANGLADESH:

• Eight fishermen were kidnapped and 10 fishing trawlers were robbed by a gang of robbers 3 June at night while fishing approximately 81NM from Kuakata, Bangladesh.  The robbers stole nets, fish, cash, and fuel.  The robbers demanded ransom payments for the fishermen. (Open Sources)

DAVIS STRAIT:

• A small team of Greenpeace activists boarded the Cairn Energy oil rig LEIV ERIKSSON on 29 May in the morning approximately 40NM north of Nuuk, Greenland.  The activists boarded the rig from semi-rigid boats, launched from their mothership ESPERANZA.  Two of the activists attached a small cabin/tent close to the drill-head to prevent its operation.  Greenland police, assisted by Royal Danish Navy forces, arrested the two activists on 1 June.  Police arrested 18 activists on 4 June because they had climbed aboard the oil rig. (Commercial and Open Sources)

Indian Ocean Piracy Forecast for 9 – 11 JUN 2011

GULF OF ADEN: Moderate sea heights within the Gulf of Aden will continue through the next 72 hours.  Expect winds from the southwest 20 – 25 knots with higher gusts through 12 June.  Fetch limitations will keep the seas in this region within 1 – 3 feet.  Winds may be an impact but seas will not hinder piracy operations.

EXTENDED FORECAST:

• Expect continued southwest wind flow through 15 June but with only light to moderate sea heights for forecast period.

INDIAN OCEAN:

Southwesterly winds of 28 – 32 knots with higher gusts will remain over the Somali Basin through the next 72 hours.  Expect conditions to not be conducive for small boat operations from central Somalia northeast to the Omani coast and extending through the North Arabian Sea and east to India, along 13N, as sea heights range from 9 – 13 feet within this region.  Conditions abate somewhat as you move into the Indian Ocean along the equator, areas southwest of the Maldives, and within the waters off Kenya and Tanzania.

EXTENDED FORECAST:

• The SW monsoon will continue to affect the above regions for the forecast period, producing high winds and seas.  Small boat/piracy operations in the impacted regions will be hindered through 15 June. Conditions will be more conducive for small boat/piracy operations as you move into the Indian Ocean along the equator, areas southwest of the Maldives, and within the waters off Kenya and Tanzania.

SURFACE CURRENTS:

Currents off the Somalia coast are variable with speeds up to 2 knots from the Equator to 4N.  Current speeds up to 5 kts may be seen along the coast between 4N and 9N and along the coast from the 2N to 2S.  Currents within the Gulf of Aden remain minimal, up to 1 knot.