(Bloomberg Opinion) --Remember those Somali pirates? Earlier this decade, they brazenly hijacked giant oil tankers, demanded ransoms in the millions of dollars, and gave Tom Hanks yet another chance to play the everyman overcoming a life-defining crisis. Now, thanks to a multinational naval crackdown and tighter security measures by shippers, they’ve been forced back to dry … [Read more...]
Heavy Lift Vessel Blue Marlin Attacked by Pirates Off West Africa
The Boskalis semi-submersible heavy lift vessel Blue Marlin was ransacked by pirates offshore West Africa on Sunday, causing damage that has left the ship inoperable. All 20 crew members are reported safe and in good health. Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. confirmed Tuesday that the vessel was "hijacked" approximately 80 nautical miles off the coast of Equatorial … [Read more...]
Nigeria Deploys Satellite Tech to Track Oil Smugglers
By Noah Browning LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - From algorithms to track "dark" ships smuggling stolen crude oil to an online licensing system to undercut corruption, one Nigerian government agency hopes it can use new technology to tackle theft which has cost the country billions. But the initiative by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) may be too late to stem … [Read more...]
Pirates Kidnap Six Crew from Tanker Off Bonny, Nigeria
Pirates in the Gulf of Guinea have struck again. The International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre confirmed Wednesday that six crew members were kidnapped from an anchored tanker off the coast of Bonny Island, Nigeria last week. The incident occurred April 19 at around 1430 local time as the ship was anchored at the Bonner Outer Anchorage. The report said … [Read more...]
Nigeria Arrests Maritime Security Team Over Firearms Possession – Update
The Nigerian Navy has arrested nine people including one American for possession of firearms in what the Navy claimed was Nigerian waters. The suspects were part of a maritime security team providing anti-piracy services in the Gulf of Guinea region. A spokesperson for the maritime security firm, confirmed as U.S.-based Trident Group, said the team was located well … [Read more...]