ReCAAP Piracy & Armed Robbery At Sea Against Ships in Asia - April 2014
ReCAAP ISC states a total of nine incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea were reported in April 2014, of which, five were incidents of piracy and four were incidents of armed robbery against ships. All five incidents of piracy occurred in the South China Sea.
Of the nine incidents, the more significant incidents included two cases of siphoning of marine gas oil/ marine diesel oil from oil tankers and one incident of robbery of scrap metal from a barge. The majority were petty thefts.
Overall, the situation reported in April 2014 has improved with a decrease in the number of incidents compared to the same period in past four years (2010-2013). However, relatively more significant incidents involving siphoning of marine gas oil/marine diesel oil, and robbery of scrap metal onboard barge were reported in April 2014.
In these incidents, the pirates/robbers appeared to be well organized and have good knowledge of the victim ship. The common motivation was the lucrative proceeds from the sale of the stolen oil and scrap metal in underground markets. With the high prices of oil and scrap metal, the demand for them at a lower price in the underground market will continue to exist. There would be “no seller” if there is “no buyer”. Identifying the perpetuators remains a big challenge to the authorities.
On 17 Apr 14 at or about 2010 hrs, Thailand- registered oil tanker MT Sri Phangnga was approximately 18nm off Tanjung Sedili, Malaysia in the South China Sea when 16 pirates armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives boarded the ship. The ship was forced to anchor and a small-sized tanker came alongside. About 450,000 litres of MGO was discharged from MT Sri Phangnga (see Photo below). The pirates escaped after taking the crew’s personal belongings, ship equipment, destroyed the ship’s communication power line and painted over the ship’s name and company logo on the side of the tanker. The crew were not injured.
Therefore, the ReCAAP ISC encourages regional authorities to maximize the effectiveness of seaborne and shore-based operations through fusion of intelligence, and joint operations among relevant participating government agencies. Vigilance on the part of the masters and crew is of paramount importance especially when they transit the ‘high risk’ areas.
Timely reporting of all incidents is essential to enable the authorities to respond immediately and high probability of apprehension of the perpetuators. On the part of the ship owners, the ReCAAP ISC advocates stringent enforcement of information confidentiality regarding the vessels’ sailing routes, the type and amount of oil carried onboard the tankers, and conduct of background checks on hired crew.
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Source: ReCAAP ISC
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