Pirates attacked a South Korean-flagged cargo ship in the South China Sea early on Monday, stealing thousands of dollars in cash and even the sailors’ shoes, South Korean authorities said. Two people sustained minor injuries when seven pirates boarded the CK Bluebell and made off with $13,000 and belongings including mobile phones, clothes and shoes from the 22-strong crew, officials from the oceans and fisheries ministry said. Tougher policing has made piracy less frequent on the strategic shipping route in recent years. The dry bulk vessel CK Bluebell had set ...

Following the interception and subsequent detention of the UK Flagged Stena Imperio on 19th July 19, the UK government has demanded that Iran immediately release the vessel and crew and avoid ‘escalating tensions down a dangerous path’. The UK’s E3 partners, Germany and France, have joined the UK in demanding the immediate release of the vessel and a de-escalation of tensions. The US has also stated that it intends to deploy additional forces to Saudi Arabia in response to credible threats within the region. UK Government Advice Based on this ...

The attention of the Naval Headquarters has been drawn to media reports on the suspected pirate attack on MV PAKSOY 1. After thorough investigation, the Naval Headquarters finds it imperative to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the incident. On 14 July 2019 at about 1643 hours, the Naval Headquarters received a report of a suspected pirate attack on MV PAKSOY 1 at about 124 nautical miles off the coast of Brass. MV PAKSOY 1 is a Turkish flagged general cargo vessel that reportedly sailed from Cameroon and was heading ...

West Africa Congo: Unarmed robbers board vessel off Pointe-Noire 07 July Two unarmed robbers boarded an anchored vessel at 0430 hrs local time off Pointe-Noire. The two suspects stole ropes and fled in a white skiff. The vessel and crew were reported safe. PVI Analysis: Robberies at Pointe-Noire anchorage and in nearby waters are intermittently reported. While in this incident the robbers were unarmed, pirates in the area are often armed and violent, occasionally causing injuries to crew members. Robbers tend to attack during the night to take advantage of ...

Shipping companies are hiring unarmed security guards for voyages through the Middle East Gulf as an extra safeguard after a wave of attacks in the region, security companies involved said. Relations between Iran and the West are increasingly strained after Britain seized an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar this month. Britain also said last week that one of its warships had to fend off Iranian vessels seeking to block a UK-owned tanker from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. As the risk of escalation grows, shipping associations are urging merchant shipping ...

The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) today released its Half-Yearly (January to June 2019) Report. Highlights of the report, whose information is verified by the respective government agencies, also known as Focal Points, and regional authorities, include: Overall Summary – Total of 28 incidents reported from January to June 2019, of which 25 were actual incidents while 3 were attempted cases – Of the 28 incidents reported, 26 (93%) were armed robbery against ships and two (7%) were piracy – This marks a 32% decrease compared to the same period ...

West Africa is turning into the world’s piracy hotspot according to One Earth Future, which produces an annual State of Maritime Piracy report. The newly released 2018 statistics show a decline in the number of incidents of hijacking, kidnapping and robberies in East Africa. West Africa, on the other hand, recorded an alarmingly increase in pirate attacks from 54 incidents in 2015 to 112 in 2018. Last year, there were several cases of hijacking for cargo theft, hijacking to ransom ship and crew, kidnap for ransom, and armed robberies on ...

Ten Turkish sailors were taken hostage by armed pirates who attacked a Turkish-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Nigeria, the vessel’s owner said on Tuesday, adding that another eight sailors were left safely aboard. Turkey’s foreign ministry said the sailors were seized on Saturday evening. After the pirates left the ship it was taken to Ghana’s Tema port, and Ghanaian and Nigerian authorities are working on returning the captured sailors, the ministry said. Shipping company Kadioglu Denizcilik said its ship, the Paksoy-1, was attacked in the Gulf of Guinea ...

The Commercial Court dismissed a shipowners’ claim for hire exceeding USD 4.5 million for the period that the vessel ‘Eleni P’ was seized and detained by Somali pirates in the Arabian sea. In this decision the court applied fundamental principles of contractual construction in a time charter context. The vessel was captured by pirates during a sub-time charter trip as it navigated the Arabian Sea and held for seven months. The owners issued arbitration proceedings for approximately USD 5.6 million, the majority of which was for hire whilst the vessel ...

The number of hijackings and armed attacks on ships sailing off Nigeria has dropped according to new figures from the International Piracy Reporting Centre, IMB. Fire shots at ships, assault and hostage taking of crew members. Pirate attacks have long been a serious threat, creating insecurity for both crew members and shipping companies. But new figures now show that the number of pirate attacks is declining. Globally, 78 cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships have so far been registered, compared to 107 incidents in the same period in ...

Shipping companies sailing through the Middle East Gulf are being urged to avoid having private armed security guards onboard as the risk of escalation in the region rises, industry associations say. Relations between Iran and the West have become increasingly strained after Britain seized an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar last week and London said its warship HMS Montrose had to fend off Iranian vessels seeking to block a British-owned tanker from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The most recent incidents followed a spate of attacks on tankers since May ...

The recent admission by the former Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, that the security situation in the maritime sector has become bad and last Monday’s Q2 report by the International Maritime Bureau naming Nigeria as a hotbed of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, leaves much to be desired. As stakeholders in the nation’s maritime industry await the deployment of the $195 million maritime security equipments approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, a not very cheery news broke last Monday about the increasing pirates attacks on Nigeria’s territorial waters. Put ...

Warnings, advisories and piracy incidents in the Indian Ocean Area by the UKMTO in the past week.

Is terrorism the new norm for shipping? THE STORY On the 13/06/2019, two oil tankers were victim to what has been described as “sabotage” attacks in the Gulf of Oman, leaving one ablaze and both adrift. Following, a similar incident involving four tankers, which took place one month ago, on the 12th of May, 2019. Japan’s trade ministry reported, that the two oil tankers carried “Japan-related” cargo. The timing of the attacks, was thus especially sensitive, occurring while discussions were being held between the Japanese prime minister and Iranian leadership ...

Reports indicate Iranian IRGC(N) vessels attempted to impede the movements of a commercial tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel in question, the British-flagged crude oil tanker British Heritage, was escorted by the Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose, which moved between the tanker and the approaching vessels, and issued a verbal warning. HMS Montrose is reported to have trained its guns on the Iranian vessels, resulting in their withdrawal. No aggressive action or warning shots were fired by vessels on either side. Iran has responded to the reports by ...