ReCAAP ISC - Piracy & Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia - Feb 2014
A TOTAL of 13 incidents were reported in February 2014, of which 11 were robberies against ships and two were incidents of piracy.
Of the 13 incidents, six were Category 2 (moderately significant) incidents, two were Category 3 (less significant) incidents and five were petty theft (minimum significant) incidents.
Compared to the same period in 2012, there has been an increase in Category 2 incidents.
Eight out of the 13 incidents were reported at ports and anchorages. Of these, four were Category 2 incidents, one was a Category 3 incident and three were petty theft cases. The Category 2 incidents reported at ports and anchorages involved robbers armed with knives, and in one incident armed with guns. Operating in groups of at least five men, the robbers threatened the crew at knife-point in two of the four incidents.
In the incident onboard bulk carrier, Prosperity at the anchorage northeast of Pulau Bintan, Indonesia on 10 Feb 14, the robbers were armed with guns and knives. The guns were not discharged and the robbers escaped when the alarm was raised. The crew of chemical tanker, Alpine Mia also raised the alarm when 10 robbers armed with knives boarded the tanker on 24 Feb 14 while anchored at the Chittagong anchorage.
The treatment of the crew was also relatively more violent as reported in the incident onboard Phoenix Nereid at Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh on 5 Feb 14 when the robbers threatened the crew with knives. In the incident onboard BSS Pride at Dumai inner anchorage, Indonesia on 1 Feb 14, the robbers held the crew in captivity and tied them. However, the crew was not injured in all the incidents.
The other four Category 3 and petty theft incidents occurred at the ports and anchorages in Pulau Bintan, Tanjung Priok and Belawan, Indonesia and Visakhapatnam anchorage, India.
Overall, the number of incidents has remained fairly consistent compared to the same period in 2012. As the situation at some ports and anchorages remains a key concern, the coastal State authorities are advised to enforce port security, implement the ISPS code, and render immediate assistance to victim vessels when incidents are reported to them.
Timely reporting to the coastal authorities is strongly encouraged as demonstrated in the incident involving SG Victory which resulted in the arrest of the pirates and recovery of stolen items.
Download the full report HERE (PDF).
Source: ReCAAP ISC
Subscribe to our newsletter. Receive a weekly round-up of all piracy-related news.
OCEANUSLive.org
Information, Security, Safety; Shared
Submitted by Team@oceanuslive.org