Militants abscond with ship crew; SE Asia tanker hijack confirmed ; Road building to combat piracy; Suspect pirates handed to Interpol -
Somali militant group, Al-Shabaab, have reportedly absconded with the crew of a Kenyan-owned ship that became stranded off the Somali coast following technical difficulties after calling in at the port of Mogadishu. Witnesses claim that well-armed fighters arrived with several vehicles and demanded the crew surrender before driving off with them on board.
Another tanker was confirmed to have been hijacked in the South China Sea following loss of contact with owners. Nine armed pirates boarded MT Moresby 9, which had also suffered a pirate attack in August 2013, however, this time, the pirates were able to steal part of the fuel cargo after tying up the crew. Malaysian authorities are investigating the matter. The recent spate of tanker hijacks in SE Asia has raised concerns of increased organised crime gang activity or the possible links to financing political or terrorist activities. The deep-rooted factors behind regional piracy remains and the matter of "petro-pirates" is unlikely to be quickly addressed.
According to a study released this week, Somali pirates are protected by communities when they have no better source of income. The study suggests a more sustainable way to tackle piracy would be to build new roads and harbours to boost the local economy. It continues that policy makers have concentrated on the motives of the pirates instead of how local politics determine the intensity of pirate activity - the study, in our opinion, overlooks the problems encountered in capacity building and oversimplifies the way to address piracy, omitting the myriad security, environmental and terrorism issues.
The Nigerian Navy has handed over three suspects from MT Gare, allegedly involved in the hijack of MT Kerala off Angola in January, to Interpol. The lack of security off the coast of Nigeria not only threatens seafarers but also the UK economy according to the UK Chamber of Shipping in a new study.
Indian High Court has quashed the criminal case against the 35 crew members of Seaman Guard Ohio. After nine months, Justice Prakash declared the ship entered territorial waters through necessity under the principle of 'innocent passage' and could not be tried under the Arms Act. Will there be a ruling on the Italian marines? India said that it respects the verdict of the UN tribunal in the dispute over territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal belonging to Bangladesh.
Nicaragua has approved the waterways route for a new canal to link the Atlantic and the Pacific in a $40bn project to challenge the Panama Canal.
A European Union court annulled sanctions placed on the Iranian tanker company, NITC, due to alleged involvement in nuclear programme, although the lifting of sanctions may not see the tankers permitted to trade in Europe. A German cruise ship was hit by debris from a Hamas rocket intercepted by Israeli missile defence system.