Weekly Maritime Crime and Piracy Update

Maritime Crime and Piracy Summary, week of 14 April 2011 (source: Office of Naval Intelligence)

Details of pirate activity from the past week – April 14-20

1. (U) ARABIAN SEA: Container vessel (HANJIN TIANJIN) was boarded 20 April at 2049 UTC while underway in position 12:58N – 05855E, approximately 262NM northeast of Socotra Island, Yemen. (Commercial Sources, Operator)

2. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Fishing vessel (GLORIA) was hijacked 19 April 2011. On 20 April 2011 the Seychelles Coast Guard conducted an operation 150NM northeast of Mahe Island, Seychelles, to rescue the four fishermen and detain the seven pirates. One fisherman and three pirates were injured during the operation. (Commercial and Open Sources)

1. (U) INDONESIA: One robber boarded a chemical tanker 18 April at 1955 UTC while anchored in position 01:42.33N – 101:27.16E, in the Dumai inner anchorage, Indonesia. Six to seven robbers in a wooden boat approached the vessel. One robber boarded the vessel, but escaped after the duty deck crew noticed him onboard and the alarm was raised. (IMB)

2. (U) SINGAPORE: Robbers boarded a barge 17 April at 2112 UTC while underway in position 01:15.2N – 104:03.2E, approximately seven NM southeast of Changi, Singapore. The Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) sighted a sampan alongside the vessel. The PCG spotted four to five men departing the barge on two sampans. Four containers on the barge were broken into, and some items were missing. (ReCAAP)

3. (U) INDONESIA: Three robbers boarded a tanker 14 April at 1750 UTC while anchored in position 01:41.6N – 101:29.8E, in the Dumai anchorage, Indonesia. The robbers entered the engine room through the steering gear room entrance after breaking the padlock. The third engineer was threatened by one of the robbers with a knife and pushed to the corner of the store room. The oiler on duty raised the alarm after spotting the robbers and the robbers escaped. (IMB)

Indian Ocean Piracy Forecast – April 21-27

Weather conditions this week are expected to be mild and conducive to small-boat operations throughout the piracy operating area, to include the southern Indian Ocean and Mozambique Channel. Mariners are advised the Arabian Sea, Somali Basin, Gulf of Aden, and Mozambique Channel are high-risk areas for piracy. When transiting the region, mariners are encouraged to contact UKMTO and all appropriate authorities.