ReCAAP ISC Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia - August 2016 Report
ReCAAP ISC reports a total of three incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia in August 2016. Of these, two were actual incidents and one was an attempted incident. There were no incidents involving abduction of crew off eastern Sabah and southern Philippines; and no hijacking of ships for theft of oil cargo reported in August 2016.
Worth commending was the arrest of a perpetrator by the Indonesian Navy’s Western Fleet Quick Reaction Force. The perpetrator was amongst the six who boarded a Singapore-registered tanker while underway in the South China Sea. More details of the incident are elaborated in this report. Between January and August 2016, a total of 54 incidents were reported, and this represents a 64% decrease in total number of incidents compared to the same period in 2015 when 151 incidents were reported. The number of incidents reported during January-August 2016 is also lowest among the five-year reporting period of January- August 2012-2016.
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY MONTH (AUGUST 2015- AUGUST 2016)
A total of three incidents were reported in August 2016. Of these, one was an incident of piracy and two were incidents of armed robbery against ships. The piracy incident occurred in the South China Sea (SCS) at approximately 32 nm southeast of Pulau Aur, Malaysia, one theft incident occurred at Vung Tau port, Vietnam and an attempted boarding occurred in the Singapore Strait.
SIGNIFICANCE LEVEL OF INCIDENTS
Actual Incident. Of the two actual incidents reported in August 2016, one was a Category 2 incident and one was a Category 4 incident. The Category 2 incident occurred on board a product tanker while underway in the South China Sea when six perpetrators armed with guns and knives boarded the tanker, tied up the crew and stole their personal belongings before leaving the ship. The crew was not injured. The Category 4 incident occurred on board a bulk carrier while anchored at Cai-Mep, Vung Tau port, Vietnam. The three perpetrators boarded the ship via the starboard side from a wooden boat and stole six cans of 20-litres paint. The crew was not injured.
Attempted Incident. An attempted boarding of tug boat, Nautica TG Puteri 27 occurred on 19 Aug 16 while she was underway in the Singapore Strait (SS). The perpetrators aborted the attempt to board when the master raised the alarm.
IMPROVEMENTS IN AUGUST 2016
No incidents involving the abduction of crew off eastern Sabah and southern Philippines and no hijacking of ships for theft of oil cargo were reported in August 2016.
STRAITS OF MALACCA AND SINGAPORE (SOMS)
Overall the improvement of the situation during January-August 2016 was most apparent in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, particularly the SS. A total of two incidents were reported in the SS during January-August 2016 compared to 85 incidents reported there during the same period in 2015. See Maps below.
CONCLUSION
The overall situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia continued to improve in August 2016 with no incident of abduction of crew and no incident of hijacking of ship for theft of oil cargo. However, there is no room for complacency as evidenced from the attempted boarding of tug boat Nautica TG Puteri 27 in the Singapore Strait after a lapse of four months since the last incident (involving Posh Viking) that was reported there on 6 Apr 16.
Read the Full Report HERE
[OCEANUSLive Note: The report does not include an incident on 25 Aug where pirates reportedly fired upon a fishing trawler at Janglar Char of Manpura, Bangladesh. Several fishermen jumped overboard, however, one was taken hostage and the trawler with nets and catch taken.]
Source: ReCAAP ISC
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