Bombay port was a scene of hectic activity in November of 1819: a great imperial expedition was underway. Warships, troop carriers and support ships were being readied to carry three thousand British and Indian soldiers to wage war in the Persian Gulf. For decades, the so-called “pirate kingdoms” of the Persian Gulf’s southern coast(present day UAE, Qatar and Bahrain) had been preying on British shipping. The British had launched naval patrols and a punitive naval campaign ten years ago, to no avail. This time the authorities resolved that Arabian threat ...

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

South East Asia Malaysia: Suspected militants kidnap two fishermen off Sabah state 11 September Police reported that two fishermen were kidnapped by suspected members of Islamist militant group Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the waters off Semporna in Sabah state in the early hours on 11 September. Four crew members were on a fishing vessel docked at the Pulau Gaya jetty when the kidnapping reportedly took place during curfew hours at approximately 0100 hrs local time. Some reports indicated three fishermen had been kidnapped and that an initial probe showed ...

The impact of digital transformation can be noticed more and more clearly in many areas of life. If some tech companies have their way, it won’t be too long before we see self-driving cars controlled by computers roaming our highways. Likewise, digital transformation is beginning to play a key role for shipping companies. Today, shipping organizations are facing increasing pressure to operate more efficiently due to overcapacity and global demand. Meanwhile, customers are demanding faster, more streamlined services that afford integrated and end-to-end logistics. As a result, the maritime industry ...

In 2009 oil tankers, container vessels and luxury liners sailing down the east coast of Africa were constantly vulnerable to hijack by drug-addled pirates armed with rocket launchers and AK-47s. In one three-week period no fewer than 17 container ships were attacked – one of them the Maersk Alabama, which was boarded by four Somali pirates in a super-fast skiff who demanded a $1million ransom for its release. The story of how the ship’s commander was rescued by US Navy Seals was turned into a blockbuster movie called Captain Phillips ...

A total of eight incidents of armed robbery against ships1 were reported in Asia in August 2018. No piracy incident was reported. There was also no report of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and no hijacking of ships for theft of oil cargo reported in August 2018. AUGUST 2018 NUMBER OF INCIDENTS In August 2018, a total of eight incidents (comprising seven actual incidents3 and one attempted incident4) of armed robbery against ships were reported. All incidents have been verified and reported to the ReCAAP ISC by ReCAAP ...

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

Saudi Arabia: Houthis target Saudi warship off Jizan province 1 September Iran-backed Houthi fighters targeted a Saudi warship at an unknown location off the coast of Jizan province, Al Masirah TV reported. There were no reports of damages or casualties from the Saudi military or comments from Riyadh. it is unclear what means Houthi fighters used to target the vessel. PGI Analysis: Houthi forces have escalated attacks against Saudi-linked vessels in the southern Red Sea in recent months amid an ongoing offensive by the Saudi-led coalition to retake the strategic ...

Twenty-six maritime law enforcement and regulatory officers from 15 countries gathered in Yangon, Myanmar today to participate in a three-day capacity building workshop organised by ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) and hosted by its Myanmar Focal Point, the Myanmar Navy. The participants are from the Focal Points of 14 ReCAAP Member States and from the maritime law enforcement agency of Malaysia. Focal Points are the government agencies designated by ReCAAP Member States to be the primary points-of-contact for the ReCAAP information sharing network. The capacity building workshop will feature sharing ...

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

Iran’s bluster about blocking the Strait of Hormuz could remain just that with the United States saying it is committed to ensuring the safety of the region. The US Central Command, which oversees its forces in the Middle East, said it is fully prepared to keep regional commerce flowing through the Arabian Gulf after a senior Iranian military official said his country’s navy would halt all Middle East exports if Iran is not allowed to ship its oil through the Strait. “There will be no security for others either and ...

Navies and coast guards from the United States and eight Asian countries, including Singapore, are taking part in a two-week exercise to strengthen cooperation and training in tackling maritime security challenges, such as piracy, smuggling and illegal fishing. The annual South-east Asia Cooperation and Training (Seacat) exercise, led by the United States Navy, will also involve information sharing with the Maritime Operation Centre in Phuket, Thailand, for the first time. Rear-Admiral Joey Tynch, US Navy commander of the Singapore-based Logistics Group Western Pacific, said of the exercise: “I can’t think ...

Yemen: Coalition foils Houthi speedboat attack in Red Sea 23 August The Saudi-led coalition announced it had thwarted a planned Houthi attack involving the use of explosives-laden speedboats against commercial vessels. The target and further details of the attack were not disclosed but the speedboat was reportedly launched from the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. PGI Analysis: The purported attack comes after Houthi forces used projectiles to attack two Saudi-oil tankers in the Red Sea, one of which suffered minor damage. In May, the Saudi-led coalition reported foiling ...

Several reports in recent months have highlighted the ongoing risk posed by modern pirates — from Nigeria, where higher global oil prices have reportedly led to an increase in attacks on oil tankers, to Venezuela, where a collapsing economy has offered new incentives for pirates in the Caribbean. Piracy is an opportunistic business. It occurs in places where there is both an opportunity to make money from robbing ships or kidnapping mariners and where counter-piracy security is too minimal to provide a sufficient deterrent. When these factors combine with economic ...

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