Weekly Piracy Report

Under pressure. Counter piracy forces continue to force the piracy issue by deterring mothership operations. More pirates detained and Puntland accelerates efforts. Hijack story debunked but aid workers remain pawns. Piracy figures show a decline but warnings of greater violence. No room at the court for pirates in the region as pirate negotiator trials in US continue, but free legal aid in India. IMO Sec Gen vows to reduce piracy as GCC claims they should resolve the issue. Lack of government-led private maritime security regulation causes confusion and uncertainty. Analysis questions Chatham House study. Grim picture of 'warrior' pirates roaming the seas helps understand modus operandi.

More Royal Navy success in capturing pirates as IMB annual report shows a decline in pirate successes in 2011. German warship, Luebeck, follows RFA Fort Victoria in deterring pirates on motherships, including forcing the Enrico Ievoli to return towards Somalia instead of commencing mothership operations. The two-fold success of this particular task is demonstrated by the fact that a Dutch vessel protection detachment had thwarted an attack, and with coordination, the Indian dhow was disrupted the following day.

The unfortunate consequence of the recent successful capture of so many pirates, 70 suspected pirates in January alone, is the insufficient capacity of the regional prisons to take them, leading to the possibility of many being released. Spain has chosen to prosecute the pirates that had attacked their EU warship last week.

Puntland, after detaining more pirates, kicks off its largest anti-piracy campaign to date with the newly establish Maritime Police Force. The matter of holding pirates awaiting prosecution is becoming a burden which greatly affects the legal system, despite the Somali Ambassador to the UN stating that there are courts in Somalia capable of trying pirates as opposed to those being tried in other countries. The Ambassador won't appear at a court hearing for a Somali man charged with piracy, despite being issued a subpoena to testify in the U.S.

Whilst India is providing free legal aid to 120 pirates held in their jails in order to get them through fast track court. The Somalia government had not responded to the call for them to provide legal aid

A recent much-repeated story of an Iranian vessel having been hijacked in the region has proven, by all accounts, not have actually occurred. Even pirate sources deny knowledge of an actual hijacking. Oddly enough, not one of the piracy reporting authorities made any comment on the non-incident.

The aid workers held by pirates on MV Albedo are caught up in a situation between pirate gangs. If the Albedo is successfully ransomed before the aid workers are ransomed, the fear of military intervention, in the event of transferring the hostages to another location, being uppermost in their minds.

The latest piracy figures show a distinct decline in attacks for the first in time in 4 years. However, the potential for pirates to employ greater violence to reassert their criminal activities cannot be discounted. The success of the naval forces and the ship security measures have made an impact, but whether it can be sustained if another question. In the meantime, the newly-appointed IMO Secretary General vows to reduce piracy cases worldwide.

A study by a UK think tank organisation, that came out last week, stating that Somali piracy has boosted the economy in Puntland has attracted much analysis and comment from many quarters. The reliability of the assumptions is questioned and economic growth has ben put down to the efforts of the authorities and businesses in the region.

A UK maritime lawyer is unfortunately caught in the middle of accusations that the UK government has privately approved millions of pounds of payments to Somali pirates. Permitting payment of ransoms, however, is not quite the same as negotiating terms with pirates. The UK government is also accused of creating confusion and uncertainty for the burgeoning maritime security companies by failing to provide appropriate regulatory standards.

A Gulf State newspaper claims that the problem of piracy will continue for another 10 years, but the problem is one that should be resolved by the Gulf States themselves.

The recent success in operations to release vessels and crew from Somali pirates at sea has given the naval forces some insight into the way the pirate action groups work. The appalling conditions on some of the recaptured vessels raises questions about how and where they were managing to replenish their stocks; calling themselves 'warriors' in equating themselves to the forces raises eyebrows too.

Regional Activity  

East Africa

Indian dhow used as mothership

After three days of persistent pressure, FGS Luebeck has forced Somali pirates to release an Indian dhow with 15 Indian mariners held as hostages - OCEANUSLive.

On the 17 January 2012 the EU NAVFOR warship FGS Luebeck re-located an Indian registered dhow which had been used as pirate mother-ship involved in the attack on MV Flintstone early the same day. A Dutch Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) stationed on the Dutch-registered civilian fall-pipe vessel had repelled the attack following a gun-fight and caused the attack skiffs to retreat back to the pirate mother ship with injuries to the suspected pirates. Read more.

Police from Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland, with the support of civilians in Garacad, seized 13 pirates and their equipment, and thwarted a new hijacking plan during anti-piracy operations in Garacad area, according to senior officials who spoke to Somalia Report.

Previous anti-piracy operations were launched in the area between Garacad and Dhinooda, but police seized the pirates and two speed boats near Garacad area today, according to officials.

"Yes, during the operations police seized 13 pirates and their equipment. The pirates were preparing new operations to hijack vessels and the police and civilians worked together to arrest them," Abdikarim Kayton, the chairman of Jariban district where Garacad village is located told Somalia Report by phone.

"These pirates tried to return to their operations in Garacad village area after we removed them last month and Despite Puntland's reports that they have rid the area of pirates, pirates are now holding a number of vessels in Garacad including MT Liquid Velvet and Enrico Ievoli which pirates are holding off Dhinooda, near Garacad.
The 13 newly arrested pirates will join hundreds of others currently being held in jails in Garacad and Jariban district waiting to be tried by the court.

"We are now holding 250 pirates in Garacad and Jariban jails. These pirates were seized during anti-piracy operations over the few last months and still they are waiting to be brought up on charges. A number of them were released after further investigation," the chairman told Somalia Report.

Bosaso Prison (Photo: Somalia Report)

"These prisoners will be presented to the court soon, and the government will continue their anti-piracy operations," Kayton added.
Although the Puntland officials claimed that they have the power to hold these prisoners in jails until they go to court, local elders told the local media that the government is quickly losing support since the prisoners are taking so long to process through the court system.

Elders suggested that Puntland officials to transfer some of the pirates to Garowe and Bosaso jails to ease the burden on the Garacad and Jariban jails and to bring the prisoners before the court more quickly.

Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland accelerated their efforts to fight against pirates and human smugglers by sending their newly establish Puntland Marine Police Force (PMPF) to Qaw village, 30 km west of the port of Bosaso. Officials told Somalia Report that the deployment kicks off the largest anti-piracy campaign to date in Puntland's coastal regions.

The mission, which commenced on 15 January, was authorized by Puntland President Farole, the Minister of Security, Mr. Khalif Isse Mudan, and the Mayor of Qaw, Mr. Abdi Rashiid Habibi, according to a press release from the PMPF.

Puntland Marine Police Force (Photo: Somalia Report)

"The PMPF is a key component of Puntland's aggressive, multi-pronged anti-piracy strategy," said Abdirizak Ahmed, Counter-Piracy Director in the Ministry of Maritime Transport, Ports and Counter-Piracy. "These activities enhance security in the region and provide much-needed humanitarian support to the people of Puntland."

The PMPF underwent a six-month training course near Bosaso airport and have been supplied with boats and trucks, according to Puntland officials.

These troops will fight pirates and those who illegally transport migrant people from Puntland to Yemen," Abdirisak Mohamed Mohamoud (Hidig), the coordinator of Puntland's maritime police.

While this group of anti-piracy forces will remain at their base in Qaw village, Mr. Hidig explained that they plan to deploy more troops to the pirate hubs.

"It's beginning now. There will be another group of maritime police that we will send to pirate bases on land, including Bargaal and Eyl. We are trying our best to fight pirates on land," he said.

Mr. Hidig would not comment on the number of troops, boats or vehicles deployed, but told Somalia Report that the Puntland government planned these anti-piracy operations in Bari region after pirates began to hijack commercial boats that were trying to make their way to Bosaso, affecting local businesses.

Puntland President Farole has been a critic of pirates and has vowed to wage an by implementing a series of security operations resulting in a number of arrests. Today, Puntland holds nearly 300 pirates in its jails. Read more.

The British Royal Navy handed over a pirated fishing vessel to the Yemen authorities today as part of its counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean, writes the Telegraph.

An elite team of Royal Marines stormed the fishing vessel on Friday, seizing it back from a gang of suspected Somali pirates.
The pirates are believed to have stolen the fishing vessel in order to use it as a platform for launching hijack attempts on cargo ships and tankers in the Gulf of Aden.

The return of the fishing vessel – known as a dhow – is part of the NATO crackdown on piracy in the seas around Somalia.
Captain Gerry Northwood, who is heading the counter-piracy operation on board RFA Fort Victoria, said that he was pleased to return the dhow to her Yemeni owner.

“This was a good example of Royal Navy and the Yemeni Navy working together for the common good of the local maritime community,” he said. “I was pleased that we were able to return the dhow to its rightful owner. It is important that through our cooperation with the Yemeni Navy, we reassure the local maritime community that we are able to protect their interests. They are as much the victims of Somali piracy as the larger international ships navigating through the area".

The dhow was handed over to the Yemeni navy. A spokesman said “Thank you for the dhow and thank you for everything.”
Before the return of the dhow, a marine climbed her mast to remove the Royal Navy’s White Ensign, which had flown over the dhow for the last three days. Read more.

A video of the Royal Navy capturing 13 pirates follows:

Dutch marines guarding a merchant vessel off the coast of Yemen have beaten off a pirate attack directed against it, the Dutch ministry of defence said. - Defence Web.

A group of Dutch marines were aboard the Flintstone, a fallpipe vessel which places rocks to protect oil and gas pipelines, when they noticed a nearby fishing vessel launch a high speed skiff at around 05:00 GMT. The crew were directed to the ship’s citadel as the skiff approached.

"The marines tried in vain to stop the fast-moving skiff, occupied by six men armed with an assortment of weapons including a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), by firing tracers as a warning," the ministry of defence said.

After one of the pirates aimed a rocket propelled grenade at the Flintstone, the marines fired on the skiff, which turned around and rejoined the fishing vessel. "It's not excluded that there may have been casualties among the attackers," the ministry said.

The Flintstone was underway from Singapore to Malta through the Suez Canal when the attack happened, it added. The vessel was built on behalf of Netherlands-based Tideway, an offshore subsidiary for oil and gas activities of Belgium’s Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering (DEME) Group.

Dutch marines teams of the Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) are in certain instances put on board merchant ships on request from the ship's owners, the defence ministry said on its website.

Last year "heavily armed" VPD teams accompanied 11 ships through pirate infested waters, it added.

The two sets of aid workers are still being held onboard the Malaysian-flagged Albedo. There has been some infighting between the two gangs holding the hostages, and the pirate commander in charge of the vessel - Somalia Report.

Negotiations for the release of the Albedo are in their final stages, and it is expected that the vessel will be released within the next month or so. The two pirate leaders holding the pairs of hostages (Mohamed Abdi Hassan Afweyne holds the MSF workers and Said Harrawo , the DDG workers) are fearful that they will be exposed to a military intervention when they transfer their captives to another location.

The much syndicated news of the hijack of an Iranian vessel last week has been debunked. Somalia Report, our partner website, has investigated the supposed hijack of the Iranian vessel, the Dayenot.

Despite initial reports that the vessel had been captured by pirates en route to an unspecified North African country, Somalia Report confirmed that no such vessel ever reached Somalia’s coastline. Pirate sources based in Garacad, Ceeldhanan and Hafun have all stated that despite rumours of the hijack within the pirate community, it has since transpired that no ship was captured.

West Africa 

Pirates off West Africa are increasingly reliant on motherships as a spring-board for raids on merchant vessels, Bergen Risk solutions warns.
The trend has coincided with a trend for pirates in the region to strike further from shore, mimicking tactics used by Somali gangs in the Indian Ocean - Intermanager.

“There are now good reasons to assume that maritime criminals have extended their reach offshore Nigeria and masters/owners should take measures to counter this threat,” Bergen Risk Solutions said in an update.

It notes motherships are thought to have been involved in attacks on the 58,000-dwt Spar Rigel (built 2010) last week and the 35,100-dwt Cape Bird (built 2003), which was hijacked in October.

Arild Nodland, CEO Bergen Risk Solutions, explains the increased mothership activity off West Africa has been brewing for some time, but experts have been wary of raising unnecessary fears.

“Too many indicators are now pointing to use of staging vessels and extended reach of Nigerian pirates to ignore them,” he explained.

Cameroon has taken delivery of three new Boston Whaler patrol boats from the United States as it counters the threat of piracy and lawlessness in its waters. Cameroon’s navy evaluated the vessels at a presentation ceremony on Friday, writes Defence Web.

Officials told the Cameroon Post that the three new Boston Whalers were bought from the United States at an undisclosed cost. The purchase, according to senior officials at the Douala Naval Base, followed advice from high-ranking US marine security experts.

Commander Alain Patrick Sima, mechanical engineer at the Douala Naval Base, said that, “previously, the U.S. has helped us train personnel in various fields including the modes of operation of the pirates. They have donated equipment, including radars for surveillance. Now, we can say we are at the final phase of our war against the pirates which is the acquisition of appropriate material to boost our efforts.”

Indeed, in September 2008 Cameroon’s navy received two 7-meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB) from the United States, equipped with twin 150 hp engines, a .50 cal gun mount, a GPS receiver, a VHF radio, and a transport trailer. The boats were delivered after two weeks of training between the U.S and Cameroonian armed forces on operation and basic maintenance of the boats.

Sima said that the Boston Whalers are equipped with 300 hp four-stroke Yamaha V6 outboard engines, three machineguns each, electronic navigation systems and infrared cameras for night operations.

The boats have been named Justice I, II and III. Two will be stationed at the Douala Naval Base and one will be stationed at the Kribi Naval Base, the Cameroon Post reports. Read more.

Asia/South East Asia

Piracy and armed robbery in Asian waters showed a decline of around 7% in 2011, official figures show - TradeWinds News.

Some 155 incidents were reported last year versus the 167 in 2010, according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

Source: ReCAAP

Of these 133 were actual incidents and 22 were just attempts at piracy, the Singapore-based ReCAAP said.

There was a 36% fall in Category 2, or moderately significant incidents, from 59 in 2010 to 38 last year.

This was largely due to concerted efforts by Indian authorities and the littoral States of the South China Sea to combat piracy in their respective regions.

Hijacking and kidnapping have remained relatively consistent throughout the past five years, with 2011 being no exception.

There was seven Category 1, or very significant incidents, comprising five hijackings, one kidnapping and an armed robbery.

In the six hijacking/kidnapping incidents, all crew were rescued unharmed, and the culprits in four of the incidents arrested. All five hijacked vessels were recovered.

Of the 155 incidents reported in 2011, two-thirds of them occurred when vessels were at anchor or berth; and one-third while underway.

Those involving ships at anchor or berth were mostly petty theft involving ship stores and engine spares, and did not involve violence. Read more.

Pirates in Court  

Denmark said on Tuesday the Seychelles had refused to take 25 suspected Somali pirates detained by one of its warships earlier this month, highlighting the difficulty of putting pirates on trial, reports Reuters.

The pirates remain aboard the Danish warship Absalon which captured them and their fishing vessel on Jan. 7.

Denmark had sought to send them to the Seychelles under a May 2011 agreement that was supposed to allow the Danish navy to hand over suspected pirates for prosecution in the Indian Ocean island country.

Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said Danish diplomats were working to find an alternative to the Seychelles, which lie about 1,600 kilometres (990 miles) off the east coast of Africa, to try the pirates in the region.

"It's not a good situation obviously," Thorning-Schmidt said. "Now we just need the extradition agreements."

A Danish government official said last May's agreement did not oblige the Seychelles to take pirates, but only to consider on a case-by-case basis whether its judicial system had the capacity to handle the cases.

Many suspected pirates arrested off the Horn of Africa are released after only a short detention because governments are reluctant to bring them to trial and prison facilities in Somalia are inadequate.

Danish Foreign Ministry officials declined to say which countries Copenhagen has asked to try the pirates, but Denmark last year sent 24 pirates to Kenya for trial.

Thomas Winkler, Denmark's top legal official dealing with piracy, told Reuters the main challenge was to find prisons where convicted pirates could serve their sentences. Read more.

The Royal Navy may be forced to release suspected pirates captured in the Indian Ocean because no country is willing to prosecute them, comments the Telegraph.

A team of Royal Marines arrested 14 Somalis on a hijacked fishing boat on Saturday and found rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and explosives.

Kenya and the Seychelles have tried suspected pirates in the past but both have refused to take the latest captives because their court systems are swamped.

The men caught on Saturday joined two other suspected pirates already under arrest on a second Royal Navy vessel. The American, Danish and Spanish navies are between them holding a further 46 men captured during anti-piracy patrols over the last six weeks.

British officials are putting “intense pressure” on Kenya to accept the most recent captives, amid fears of warships turning into “floating prisons”, according to senior sources in Nairobi. One alternative would be to try the men in Britain, experts say, but there is little appetite for it because of the cost and the fear that the pirates would later seek asylum.

The only remaining option is to release them back on to the beaches of Somalia, said Alan Cole, anti-piracy co-ordinator with the United Nations office on drugs and crime in Nairobi. Whitehall sources confirmed that this was one of the few options available.

“It is extremely important that the regional countries do everything they can to take these pirates or it gives the impression that they are immune from prosecution,” said Mr Cole.

Britain is spending more than £11 million to refurbish prisons and courts in Kenya, the Seychelles and northern Somalia but the work is not yet complete.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence in London said: “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is actively pursuing options for regional prosecution.”

The Somali ambassador to the United Nations won't appear at a court hearing for a Somali man charged with piracy, despite being issued a subpoena to testify - SF Gate.

Norfolk attorney James Broccoletti says the State Department has informed him that Elmi Ahmed Duale has invoked diplomatic immunity.

Broccoletti had wanted Duale to testify during an evidentiary hearing on Thursday for Mohammad Saaili Shibin. Shibin is charged in connection with the hijacking of a German merchant ship and U.S. yacht, in which all four Americans on board were killed. Prosecutors say he was a negotiator who is the highest-ranking pirate the U.S. has captured.

Broccoletti contends the charges should be dismissed because the U.S. lacks the jurisdiction to prosecute Shibin.

Shibin was captured in Somalia by the FBI and was never extradited.

The Somali ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday that a man from his country charged with piracy should be tried in Somalia instead of the Virginia courtroom where he's being prosecuted - ABC News.

Ambassador Elmi Ahmed Duale had been subpoenaed to testify at an evidentiary hearing in the case, but invoked diplomatic immunity to avoid attending, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that there's a system in place in his country for trying pirates, and dozens have been imprisoned.

"Why should they bring him all the way here in the U.S. to face the court when the court is already there?" he said. Read more.

An insight into the problem of Somali pirate court cases is not often seen in a public forum, however, on that rare occasion an individual is accused of being a pirate negotiator, the difficulty in proving the status of the individual for both the prosecution and the defence underlines the great efforts, and expense, necessary to reach a conclusion - one way or another.

The case of Mohammad Shibin, 52, facing 15 counts of piracy, hostage taking, kidnapping and weapons offenses in the February hijacking of the American yacht Quest in the Arabian Sea, and also accused of being the highest-ranking pirate negotiator captured by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is the most high profile in the U.S. Federal Courts today. However, another Somali accused of being a pirate negotiator continues to fight in another protracted case. Ali Mohamed Ali, heavily involved in events surrounding the negotiations for German vessels hijacked in 2008, is seeking release from prison following the desire for a review of his bond status - OCEANUSLive.

The state government [of India] has provided free legal aid to 120 Somali pirates captured by the Indian Navy last year, against whom charges are yet to be framed in a fast track court. Senior inspector Pandurang Doke of Yellowgate police station told Hindustan Times on Wednesday that advocate Amol Phuke has been appointed by the government to represent the pirates. HT had, on Tuesday, reported about a letter written by the Yellowgate police station to legal aid authorities about appointing a lawyer to appear for the pirates so that charges can be framed in the fast track court.

Doke said the police had intimated the court about the lawyer’s appointment and the charges are likely to be filed on January 23. On the Yellowgate police’s request, the process of engaging four Somali students from Pune University to interpret the charges to the pirates, who know little or no English, has begun. DCP, Port Zone, Tanaji Ghadge told HT that on the government’s request, the university authorities have agreed to provide the students, whose remuneration for the service has been finalised.

Earlier, the Somali government had not responded to the Mumbai police’s request of providing legal aid to pirates.

Private Security  

The attack was launched against the ship at first light, just as the sun was rising off the Somali port of Mogadishu. Six heavily armed pirates opening fire with light calibre weapons before attempting to board the vessel, reports the Telegraph.

They chose the wrong target. Tasked with escorting aid to Somalia, the ship was the ESPS Patino, the European Union naval force's flagship in the Indian Ocean. The attack – launched last Thursday as the pirates mistook the Patino for a cargo ship – ended in failure with the injured Somalis taken into custody.

It's a problem that has sparked debate in the House of Commons, criticism of the Government for failing to act tough, and prompted David Cameron to label Somalia a "failed state that directly threatens British interests".

More pertinently for big business, it is thought to be hitting global trade to the tune of $12bn with shipping companies, commodity traders and insurers bearing the brunt of it.

But business is fighting back. Or if Anthony Sharp has his way, it will be. The British entrepreneur has teamed up with Simon Murray, the outspoken chairman of commodities giant Glencore, to launch Typhon.

As Sharp puts it in a promotional video: "The Typhon force will be the first of its kind for probably 200 years and will protect private shipowners' assets at sea. Somali piracy has grown from entrepreneurial Somalis taking advantage of the closeness of shipping to their shores and their complete lack of coast guards to a fully fledged criminal activity."

Typhon's model is based on protecting ships in its care via what amounts to a private navy. Lord Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff and one of a number of retired services personnel to join Typon, says: "What Typhon is setting out to do is corralling ships together in a confined area and escorting them properly – with a mothership, with armed guards in ribs patrolling around. The pirates are getting more confident. Unless decisive action is taken, the problem is going to get bigger, world trade is going to suffer, costs will rise and we'll all be the losers. " Read more.

According to Lloyd’s List, the lack of government-led private maritime security regulation has left companies confused and unsure where to invest their time and energy - Shiptalk.

This seems, to many observers, to be “over egging the pudding” somewhat. They feel the private maritime security companies (PMSC) do in actual fact know exactly where to put their money and resources.

As governments, with the UK being the prime example, have come to accept the role of private maritime security the industry has boomed. But there is still no formal set of standards to regulate PMSC activities. Some complain that this has seemingly left the companies in a vacuum, but let’s get real – has it?

It all seems pretty straightforward – the IMO has laid down a set of fairly sensible guidelines and companies should invest their time in abiding by them.

All people really expect is for a PMSC to be a proper company, with a structure and resources worthy of the name – they want some insurance, and surprise, surprise, they want experience and a management system. This may involve rockets, but it isn’t science.

The rest is just gravy – so perhaps if they all stopped whinging and got on with things the shipping industry would be a little more reassured.

Initiatives such as the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) accreditations [Note: and IAMSP], are clearly a step in the right direction and it is time for the security companies to stop bleating and start shaping up. The standards may evolve, formal government requirements may emerge, but if the PMSC is created on the right professional foundations, then they will have nothing to fear.

Authorities in the Yemen have banned the use of (foreign) armed guards in their waters - Shiptalk.

Prompted by the arrival of many ships to the ports of the Republic of Yemen with foreign guards, weapons and munitions onboard this was deemed to be a violation of local law.

Therefore, marine inspectors are to be directed to control suchviolations, take the necessary legal procedures and feed back.

Based on Marine Affairs memo No. wnl27/1617/2011, dated 04/12/2011, ships which attempt to enter Yemeni ports with foreign armed guards will be prohibited to enter.

International Response   

Sea piracy worldwide dropped slightly in 2011 for the first time in five years but Somali pirates have intensified attacks and remained the greatest threat, a global maritime watchdog said Thursday, reports Associated Press.

The number of attacks dipped to 439 last year from 445 cases in 2010, the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur said in a report.

There were 45 vessels hijacked and 802 crew members taken hostage, as compared with 53 ships seized and 1,181 people taken hostage in 2010.

The agency attributed the decline to international naval patrols and increases in private security personnel aboard ships.

Somali pirates accounted for 54 percent of the global attacks with 237 cases, up from 219 in 2010, it said.

The IMB said Somali pirates for the first time hijacked a vessel at anchorage in Oman, indicating they were desperate. This highlighted the need for ports and vessels at anchorages in the region to be vigilant, it said.

"The role of the navies is critical to the anti-piracy efforts in this area," said IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan.

Cyrus Mody, a spokesman for the IMB, said the majority of the attacks over the year had taken place near the entrance to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, immediately south of the Arabian peninsula. There had been fewer incidents in the Indian Ocean where pirates attacked as far as 1,500 miles from the Somali coast during 2010.

The piracy problem initially emerged in the middle of last decade in the Gulf of Aden but the problem there has been largely stamped out by regular naval patrols. The problem is far harder to address in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea because the distances involved are far greater.

Mr Mody said the reduction in successful attacks was down to “a combination of factors”.

“Probably the most significant of them is the robust naval interventions which we have seen,” he said. “For example, in the last quarter of 2011, the international navies have disrupted several pirate action groups before they became active. That removes the threat in that area immediately, thus making the area a lot safer.”

Shipowners and seafarers were also becoming more skilled at making vessels difficult to board, Mr Mody said, while there had been an increase in the number carrying armed guards.

“The presence of an armed team certainly helps in ensuring that an incident doesn’t become a successful hijacking,” he said.

The report also highlighted the growing problem of piracy in the Gulf of Benin off Nigeria and Benin in west Africa. The year saw 10 reported attacks off Nigeria and 20 off Benin but warned that there was significant under-reporting in the area. The IMB was aware of at least another 34 unreported incidents in Nigerian waters, the report said.

Newly-appointed International Maritime Organization (IMO) General Secretary Koji Sekimizu vowed to reduce piracy cases worldwide so that the worlds' 1.2 million strong force of seafarers, including 400,000 Filipinos, can go about their business in the high seas without fear of being attacked by pirates - Zambo Times.

Sekimizu, who started his four-year term last Jan. 1, said that he had appointed an able official to tackle this issue.

“Anti-piracy measures will receive a boost with the appointment of Harmut Hesse as special representative of the Secretary-General for Maritime Security and Anti-Piracy Programs," the IMO chief said.

“He (Hesse) will have responsibility for the implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct and will also act as the IMO representative to conferences and meetings dealing with piracy issues,” Sekimizu said.

Earlier, the IMO announced that piracy attacks worldwide were beginning to go down to its naval partners.

Clearing regional waters of pirates will take 10 years, a security expert has warned, says The National.

Until then Arab countries will have to rely on joint operations with foreign navies, said Theodore Karasik, the director of research and development at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.

"Things seem to be moving in the right direction but it's taking a long time to implement," Mr Karasik told the Intersec Maritime Security conference on Sunday.

"The solution should come from within the GCC. There are joint training programmes and discussions between the various ministries of defence in the region, but it's at the level of baby steps. To get the GCC to stand up, it's a 10-year process."

Many regional governments are nervous about the presence of so many foreign warships in their waters, Mr Karasik said.

The US Fifth Fleet oversees the multinational Combined Task Force 152 in the Gulf, consisting of warships from the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, US, UK, France, New Zealand, Italy and Austria. The commander of the UAE Navy, Staff Brig Ibrahim al Musharakh, said last year that a regional command centre should eventually take over.

"We believe that as the Gulf is part of our waters we should always be in charge of operations carried out here," he said.

The Defense Ministry has reinforced the equipment and training of the Navy's units in charge of defending global oceans from pirates after they successfully rescued a Korean freighter from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden in January last year - The Chosunilbo.

Better Equipped UDT/SEALs (Photo: Chosunilbo)

The Navy has now supplied UDT/SEALs with a device that shoots a projectile attached to a rope at the upper deck or a protruding part of the vessel, making it easier for commandoes to board. In the past, the Navy's special forces only had rope guns, which made climbing arduous. During the Somali pirate operation, commandos approached the freighter by inflatable and used a folding ladder to climb the ship.The UDT/SEALs will also use new German-made HK416 rifles, which have an effective range of 350-400 m and are capable of firing up to 700 rounds per minute. They have also been supplied with portable reconnaissance endoscopes that allow them to look inside ship compartments. The windshields of the Lynx helicopters on the destroyers of the Cheonghae Unit was replaced with bulletproof glass, and the body reinforced with bulletproof steel plate. Combat training was also stepped up. "All UDT/SEALs deployed at the Cheonghae Unit are counterterrorism experts," a Navy officer said. "For three months before they leave for the Gulf of Aden, they practice subduing pirates with rifle and sniper training and firing shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles using a mock freighter as a target.""Thanks to the successful mission in the Gulf of Aden, the number of recruiting applications for the Navy UDT/SEAL has more than doubled, and the status of our country's special forces has risen overseas," the officer added.

Instances of piracy off the coast of Somalia have been a constant source of concern for the government, said Union Minister of Shipping G.K. Vasan here, reports Neptune Maritime Security.

He inaugurated India Maritime Week in New Delhi on Thursday. 

He said that the Ministry of Shipping, in close co-ordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Navy and other agencies had been making discreet efforts to secure the release of Indian maritime personnel.

Vasan said, “So far, 242 Indian crew members on board merchant vessels of various flags have been hijacked by the Somali pirates. As a result of concerted efforts of the Government, in co-ordination with ship owners, managers, etc., 220 of them have been released and all efforts are being made to secure the release of the remaining 22 personnel.”

Besides, the government has issued guidelines on Deployment of Armed Guards on Indian Merchant Ships. These guidelines provide the criteria for owners to contract private armed security guards for deployment on Indian merchant ships, in cases where the owners desire to do so.

Piracy Costs  

The [UK] government has been accused of inconsistency in its stance against paying ransoms in hostage situations after it was revealed that it had privately approved millions of pounds of payments to Somali pirates - The Week.

Although publicly opposing such deals, The Sunday Times reported yesterday that "dozens of payments", totalling up to £30 million, had been channelled through British banks in the last year – mostly to ransom hijacked ships.

Maritime lawyer Stephen Askins, who has been involved in dozens of hostage scenarios in Somalia, told the paper there is no way that a ransom payment can go through a British bank without the approval of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the UK Borders Agency (UKBA).

"You're obviously notifying SOCA in particular because there's an obligation to tell SOCA why you are moving chunks of money around and SOCA will say, 'Okay, we acknowledge that this is a legitimate reason,'" Askins said.

As both SOCA and the UKBA answer to the Home Office, it appears to contradict Foreign Secretary William Hague's claims that Britain doesn't "facilitate" pay-offs because it would encourage piracy.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said he would be writing to the chief executive of SOCA to demand an explanation.

A so-called research document, entitled “Treasure Mapped: Using Satellite Imagery to Track the Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy,” was published by UK-based Chattam House think-tank, in January 2012, comments Garowe Online.

This document, which was supposed to be research funded by a UK university and the European Union, among other donors, eventually produced an unprofessional, highly prejudiced and defamatory document with the sole aim of unfairly targeting the reputation of Puntland State of Somalia and the Government’s counter-piracy efforts.

In studying this document, it becomes evident that the authors who prepared the research lack knowledge about Somalia’s culture, history and current affairs, and in particular Puntland State of Somalia.

It is common knowledge that the Government of Puntland has undertaken massive steps against pirates and the Government’s robust anti-piracy campaign is the most intense in Somalia. Puntland security forces have apprehended hundreds of pirates who are currently in Puntland prisons, including notorious pirate kingpins.

The researcher’s flawed assertion about urban growth in Puntland State is an insult to the ingenuity, creativity, entrepreneurship, determination, and vision of the people of Puntland – including Puntland Diaspora communities. In reading this research, the reader comes out feeling that everything in Puntland – all the houses, vehicles, communications equipment, hotels – belong to pirates, whom the researcher absurdly argues “provide stability” and “help other entrepreneurs to trade more easily” (Page 7). Who on earth with a common sense could unashamedly state that criminals, such as pirates, produce stability and help trade in a country? Read more.

Further analysis on the study is provided by Robert Young Pelton, of Somalia Report, in "Is Piracy Driving Growth in Puntland?." British Professor Anja Shortland recently presented her latest report on piracy in Somalia at Chatham House. Like many recent piracy reports that build on other piracy reports this academic project is designed to add clearer understanding to the international community that seeks to help solve (and often profit by) problems in Somalia and the maritime region.

Dr. Shortland teaches Finance and Banking at Brunel in the UK and has previously delved into popular and obscure topics that range from “The Effect of US Television News on Demand for Tourism in Israel” and “Political Violence and Excess Liquidity in Egypt”. Her credentials are impeccable and her reputation secure but her grasp of piracy should be examined. Her latest report is entitled "Treasure Mapped: Using Satellite Imagery to Track the Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy”.

This recent report from builds on her previous paper entitled, “The Business of Piracy in Somalia” authored with Sara Percy. Essentially the paper claims that piracy has fueled Puntland's growth and that piracy will actually increase as the Puntland politicians spread governance. Let's coin a new word and call what she is describing as a "piratocracy". She also makes the obvious point that pirate money does not stay in the coast where they operate from but in the main cities where the elites live. Specifically the government city of Garowe and capital and port of Bosaso.

The second largest city in Puntland (and pirate capital) of Galkayo is ignored. Perhaps because it remind readers that the largest center of piracy, hostages and kidnapped vessels are actually based in the central state of Galmagud. What is bothersome is her presumption that the success of Puntland and its government are tied to piracy. Read more.

In written evidence to the UKs Foreign Affairs Committee, the report contains the results of our research on Somali Piracy and more specifically:

1. A statistical profile of the types of commercial vessels, both attacked and pirated.
2. A statistical profile of the crew nationalities of the vessels both attacked and pirated.
3. Evidence of a statistical nexus between the flag of a commercial vessel and the corresponding probability (risk) of attack by Somali pirates.
4. A conceptual model/tool to better understand the Somali phenomenon from a business perspective.
5. Last but not least, we present a potential high-level strategic approach to "treat" the "disease" and not only the "symptoms".

It goes on to state, We claim in our research that the piracy venture has evolved to a point of no return because it has ceased long ago to be just an opportunistic source of alternative income. Somali Piracy has created its own self sustained evolutionary system, the so called "Piracy Diamond", which cannot be undone merely through the resurrection of mainstream, legitimate business and production. The business venture has intriguingly merged a set of disparate, mainly local (and international in some cases) stakeholders, like kingpins, semi trained ex-security personnel, money launderers, politicians and others, into a mosaic powered by diverse drivers like geography, international trade, poverty, lawlessness and lack of central political authority. Its mechanism has gone by now "supercritical", which means that even if some of its initial "comparative advantages" were neutralised, it would still keep on its developing course using its self-developed "competitive advantages". These were created and sustained through a highly localised process that is still developing. The role of the entire nation in this process seems to be as strong as, or stronger than ever.

The main theme of the international discussion around Somali Piracy is that the answer to the puzzle will come "from ashore" through the development of alternative sources of income for the locals (Stig Jarle Hansen, 2009), (Second Line of Defence, 2011). With all due respect to the good-will of the international community, it is the view of the authors that this is a manifestly simplistic argument given that:

There are no (and neither will be) available sources of legitimate income bar the traditional ones of agriculture, fishing and (to a lesser degree) trade (Dr Alec Coutroubis & George Kiourktsolgou, 2010).

Even if there were, the income (per capita) generated by these alternative professional activities would pale compared to the cash generated via piracy ransom payments. On the face of it, Somalia's history shows very clearly that in the absence of international intervention, the country has been quite "inoculated" (a word used by intelligence operatives) against al-Qaeda and international terrorist organisations of sorts but not against local rivalries. We believe that unless these national hostilities get reasonably and effectively addressed by the Somalis themselves the high seas piracy off Eastern Africa will keep on festering for a long time to come. Read more.

Seafarers' Plight  

MV Fairchem Bogey, a 26,350 deadweight tonnage (DWT) Indian chemical tanker that was freed by Somali pirates on January 12, for an estimated ransom of $8 million after five months of captivity, docked at Salalah Port on Tuesday night. 

Fairchem Bogey Released

According to sources in Salalah, the freed sailors would be flown to Muscat today.

“The freed sailors will board a flight from Salalah at 5:30am and reach Muscat at around 7am. From Muscat, they will be flown to Mumbai on a 10:45am flight,” sources added.

The chemical tanker was hijacked within the limits of Salalah Port on August 20 last year. The vessel, manned by a crew of 21 Indians, was waiting for berthing instructions near Salalah Port when it was hijacked by the pirates. It vessel was on its way to China from Saudi Arabia. It had anchored near Salalah Port to load methanol after discharging at Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia - Times of Oman.

“We are delighted to see our entire crew safe and soon to be re-united with their families,” Peter Cremers, CEO of Anglo-Eastern Group, which owns the vessel, told Times of Oman.

“Once the agreement to release the vessel had been reached, the vessel was supplied with fuel, fresh food, medicines and armed guards before proceeding to a safe port. A replacement crew has now taken over the vessel,” the owners said.

“A medical team has been flown over from India and the Managing Director from Anglo-Eastern’s tanker division in Singapore, as well as the Head of our Fleet Personnel Division from Mumbai, have been flown to the port to provide moral support and ensure the speedy return of the crew to their families in India,” the owners added.

Sources told Times of Oman that a detailed medical checkup was provided for the freed sailors at a private hospital in Salalah. Meanwhile, Rejimon of says Times of Oman has learnt that the freed sailors underwent an awful experience during the time of their captivity.

“They didn’t see sunlight for five months in captivity. They were kept in dark rooms and were given only one bottle of water daily after the food on board was finished. They couldn’t bath or shave their face or trim their hair,” sources said.

“The pirates also robbed the sailors’ electronic gadgets and their clothes,” sources added.

It may be mentioned here that Times of Oman had first reported both the hijacking and release of the tanker. When the vessel was hijacked, it didn’t have any guards on board. It had transited the Gulf of Aden with armed guards onboard, but they were dropped off at Muscat on August 10.

During the attack, the pirates broke into the engine control room where the crew had temporarily assembled. The Royal Oman Coast Guard tried to approach the vessel but the pirates asked them to move away, so to avoid any casualties, the Coast Guard desisted from making any move.

The fifteen Georgians who had been held captive by Somali pirates returned home yesterday [Friday Jan 13]. They were released on Sunday, reports Democracy & Freedom Watch.

The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili greeted the sailors in Turkey together with the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Three Turkish sailors were also freed along the Georgians. They have spent 508 days in captivity.

After arriving in Turkey the Georgians came home to Georgia together with President Saakashvili.

The ship, which was sailing under a Maltan flag, was captured in September 2010. The Somali pirates demanded 9 million dollars in ransom. The amount proved too big for the shipping company, and the negotiations were broken off.

The Georgian government ascribed the sailors’ release to their inter-agency commission which had worked intensely on the case, but claimed that no ransom had been paid. However, the news website Somali Report claims to have been in contact with the pirates who say that a ransom of 3 million dollars was dropped onto the ship.

And Finally... 

Looking at the bare statistics, it does appear that Nato's anti-piracy operation has been more successful in the last 12 months, though nobody is pretending the problem is anywhere near solved - Guardian.

The capture of Somalis in recent months has also helped the Royal Navy and other allies to understand a little more about the motivation, and modus-operandi, of those who take to the sea.

To say there is grudging respect for the criminals is probably an overstatement, but the conditions in which the pirates live, the risks they take, and the philosophy - such as it is - that drives them, has opened a few eyes.

On one recent operation, NATO investigators captured a dhow that had been at sea for two weeks, apparently covering a vast amount of space around the Arabian sea in the search for a ship to hijack.

The boat may have been on this mission for just a fortnight, but it was clear to those who went on board that it had been away from Somalia for much longer, which raised questions about how and where they were managing to replenish their stocks.

Reports back to headquarters painted a grim picture. The stench from the boat could be smelled from 50 yards away. The deck was covered in fuel barrels - 13 of them - and was otherwise covered in grease, dirt and diesel.

The crew didn't have much to eat; they were feeding themselves on rice, crushed dates and onions, which were crammed into the storage holds.

The holds were also infested with cockroaches.

The pirates were not all young men. One was just 13, another in his 50s. They all shared the same view of what they were doing, telling their captors that they were "warriors", and in that respect, they were no different to the NATO taskforce.

Piracy Incidents 

Hijack:

• None

Unsuccessful Attacks (All Regions):

• South China Sea - Group of robbers boarded a vessel at 1745 LT in position 14:36N - 120:53E, MICT Anchorage Area, Manila. Anchored Liberia-flagged container ship, San Amerigo, boarded by robbers who broke the padlock of secured steel plate of hawse pipe and escaped with six immersion suits and the starboard life raft. LATE report (via ReCAAP) 3 Jan.

• South China Sea - Vessel boarded by an unidentified number of robbers armed with knives at 0035 LT in position 14:36.6N - 120:53.10E, MICT Anchorage area, Manila. Anchored Hong Kong-flagged container ship, Pearl River Bridge, boarded by robbers who took the duty pirate watch sentry at knife point into custody of 2nd engineer and stole engine spare parts of reefer container, portable lights, mobile phone, torch, three fire hose with nozzles, hydraulic jack and six immersion suits. No crew were injured. LATE report 6 Jan.

• South China Sea - Three robbers armed with long knives boarded a Singapore-flagged product tanker (name withheld) via the anchor chain at 0340 LT: in position 01:17.3S - 116:48.0E, Balikpapan Inner Anchorage, Indonesia. They were spotted by the duty AB who reported to bridge duty officer. Alarm raised. The robbers stole ship's stores and escaped in their waiting boat. LATE Report (via IMB) 11 Jan.

• South China Sea - Five robbers boarded the forecastle of a Panama-flagged Bulk Carrier, Triton Lark, at anchor at 0240 LT: in position 01:41S-116:38E, Adang Bay Anchorage, Indonesia. Robbers boarded during cargo operations and stole ships stores. When Duty watchman returned to forecastle, saw two robbers who pushed him and took the stores and escaped. All crew safe. Reported 13 Jan.

• South America (P) - Six robbers armed with long knives attempted to board an anchored Greece-flagged bulk carrier, Ero L, via the anchor chain at 1940 LT: Callao Anchorage Area No.12, Peru. The alert crew noticed the robbers, raised the alarm and the crew were mustered. Upon hearing the alarm, the robbers aborted the attempted boarding and escaped. Port authorities informed and the coast guard was despatched to investigate. Reported (via IMB) 13 Jan.

• South China Sea - Four robbers wearing mask, armed with choppers and knives in a boat approached an anchored Panama-flagged container ship, OOCL Antwerp, at 0800 LT: in position 01:24.28N – 104:42.09E, around 12 NM NE of Bintan Island, Indonesia. Two of the robbers attempted to board the ship by climbing thru the anchor chain. Duty crew noticed the robbers and informed bridge who raised the alarm. Crew mustered and activated the fire hoses resulting in the robbers aborting attempted boarding; jumped into the water and escaped with their accomplices in the boat. Reported (via IMB) 14 Jan.

• Arabian Sea - An Italian tanker, Valdarno, came under attack by 1 white skiff in position 15:02N - 058:14E, approx 265nm NE of Socotra Island, Yemen at 0814 UTC. The vessel is safe. Report (via NSC) 16 Jan. The vessel protection team onboard a tanker underway noticed six pirates in a skiff approaching at a distance of 3.5 NM. The team took their position on the bridge with LRAD and the nonessential crewmembers mustered in the citadel. The protection team engaged the skiff with the LRAD when it was about 300 metres from the tanker. The pirates commenced firing the tanker and the protection team engaged with flares that impacted around the skiff. The pirates continued to fire the tanker and retreat back to the stern. They tracked the tanker for 15 minutes before returning to their mother vessel which remained in the vicinity. The tanker and the crewmembers are safe. The PAG was reported disrupted by CP forces 17 Jan. No longer a threat to shipping.

• Arabian Sea - MV came under attack by a single skiff at 0632 UTC in position 13:32N - 055:44E,NE of Socotra Island, Yemen. Vessel evaded hijack attempt and is safe. PAG remains operational in the area. Armed pirates in a skiff approached a Netherlands-flagged pipe layer vessel, Flintstone, underway. The armed security team (Dutch Marine detachment) onboard repelled the attack following a gunfight, resulting in the pirates aborted the attempted attack and returning to a mothership in the vicinity. The PAG disrupted by EU naval CP force (FGS Luebeck) 18 Jan.

• Gulf of Oman - Twelve pirates in a grey coloured skiff approached a Liberia-flagged crude, Troitsky Bridge, tanker underway at 1045 UTC: Posn: 24:53.4N - 057:27.4E, around 95nm NW of Muscat, Oman, Gulf of Oman. As the skiff closed to the vessel ladders were sighted. Alarm raised, non-essential crew mustered in the citadel and the Master took anti-piracy measures. As the skiff manoeuvred towards the vessel the onboard security team fired warning shots resulting in the pirates aborting the attempted attack. Reported (via IMB) 20 Jan.

Since the beginning of January 2012, approximately 70 suspected pirates have been detained. This may result in the pirates becoming more aggressive in their attempts to hijack merchant ships.  Recently, pirates have attempted additional attacks after appearing to abandon the initial attack. Masters are advised to maintain vigilance throughout an encounter until they are well clear of the area, warns NATO Shipping Centre.

EUNAVFOR figures state 5 vessels and an estimated 155 hostages held captive (Updated 16 Jan). Somalia Report indicates 198 hostages held from capture vessel with a further 26 land based hostages, bringing to a total of 224 hostages. See the latest report. The lastet report from IMB states 11 ships and 216 crew held.

VESSELS ARE REMINDED that the coalition forces' warships may not be in the vicinity of a pirate attack, subsequently, it is emphasised that seafarers can greatly reduce their chances of being pirated if they follow precautions as recommended in the Best Management Practices, increasing speed and carrying out evasive manoeuvres is a proven deterrent to piracy attacks. BMP version 4 is available at the link above; a high resolution version can be downloaded here.

VESSELS ARE ADVISED to exercise extreme caution when navigating in the vicinity of any reported positions of attacks and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously. Additionally, registration of vessel movement with MSC(HOA) prior to transiting the region is recommended. 

Horn of Africa Pirate Activity

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Any suspicious activity should be reported to UKMTO in Dubai in the first instance (Email UKMTO or Telephone+971 50 552 3215) and on entering the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) bound by Suez, 78E and 10S

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