Armed Robbery At Sea Strikes in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
AN ARMED robbery occurred on board the Panama-flagged LNG Tanker, Virgo Gas, on 28 June 2014 at 2200 hours LT around two and half nautical miles off the Port of Spain docks in the Port of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, says the Ministry of Transport.
The anchored vessel was boarded by eight or ten men off the stern and sides of the vessel, who went on to assault and rob the Master and some crew members.
It was reported that the men were armed with machetes, knives, one 9mm pistol and pieces of wood. After assaulting and robbing the Master and crew members, holding them captive for approximately thirty minutes, the robbers escaped. Representatives of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service were reported to be conducting investigations.
The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Transport issued an advisory notice to advise ship owners, ship operators, masters and crew of vessels operating in the Gulf of Paria of the occurrence of the armed robbery by armed personnel operating in small fishing vessels known locally as Pirouges.
According to the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, the Peruvian Captain was beaten unconscious by the robbers who shot and “chopped” several crew members before escaping with whatever valuables they could find.
The robbers were seen heading towards Port of Spain, said the Coast Guard head of communications, Kirk Jean-Baptiste, but the Coast Guard were unable to intercept the robbers. He went on to say that that this was nothing new, since local fishing pirogues are sometimes attacked by bandits when they go out to sea. “They steal engines. Sometimes they steal the whole boat and tell the fishermen to jump out.”
Drawing comparison with Somali piracy, “concerned sources in the shipping industry said it was the first time an anchored cargo vessel of this size had been attacked like this”. The concerned sources claimed the Coast Guard arrived 2 hours after a trouble call was made, although Jean-Baptiste said the Harbour Pilot vessel had already rescued the injured crew members and taken them to the local hospital.
The Coast Guard officers were accompanied by six team members from the Crime Scene Investigation Unit in a visit to the Virgo Gas just before 4am.
The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has commenced scheduled and unscheduled patrols of the area.
Though such attacks are not frequent, criminal elements take opportunities when and where available. The Maritime Services Division is very concerned about what happened and will be liaising with the relevant agencies to review and revise the current plans and systems for maritime security to prevent reoccurrences.
Ship owners, masters and crews of vessels are advised to review their Ship Security Plans to increase the level of surveillance and vigilance on board. Clear and comprehensive Ship Security Plans and the training of crews in security measures are essential in order to reduce the risks in the event of an attack. They are also advised to devise means of response, to take appropriate measures to minimise and mitigate the risks of armed robbery, report such attacks and cooperate in criminal investigations if requested to do so.
All enquiries relating to the notice should be directed to the Director Maritime Service:
Director of Maritime Services / Harbour Master
Maritime Services Division
127-129 Duke Street, Clarence House
Port of Spain
Telephone: 868-473-8238; 868-625-3858 Ext 400/412
Facsimile: 868-624-5884; email: mssddir@tstt,net.tt
Source: Shipping Association Trinidad & Tobago/T&T Guardian
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