U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 16 April - 13 May 2020 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 7 - 13 May 2020

Interesting threat - attacks on oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico since 2018 see the WTS for more info.

U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by lawofsea on Scribd

U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by lawofsea on Scribd

From Our Canadian Friends: CBC's "Pirates and Privateers"

CBC's Land and Sea: "Pirates and Privateers":

A Week's Worth of Piracy 18 Oct - 25 Oct 2011

From reports found here:

Singapore Strait attack

Date of Occurrence: 10/25/2011 Reference Number: 2011-438 Geographical Subregion: 71 Geographical Location: 1° 15' 30" N 104° 02' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: TUG BOAT AND BARGE Description: SINGAPORE STRAITS: Pirates in two boats approached and followed a barge towed by a tug. The crew directed searchlights towards the barge but could not detect the small boats. Master contacted other vessels including a security vessel in their convoy. Later a Singapore navy warship contacted and alerted the tug's Master that there are two small skiffs hiding behind his barge. Master altered course and spotted the two pirates boats resulting in the skiffs moving away. At 0200 local time, skiffs once again approached the barge. The navy warship spotted the skiffs and alerted the Master. Even with the presence of the warships the pirates boarded the barge. Upon inspection propertes and stores of the barge were found stolen.

Sulu Sea attack off Philippines

Date of Occurrence: 10/24/2011 Reference Number: 2011-439 Geographical Subregion: 92 Geographical Location: 6° 59' 54" N 119° 44' 48" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: BULK CARRIER Description: SULU SEA, PHILIPPINES: Pirates in six speed boats chased and attempted to board a bulk carrier underway. Master raised alarm, took evasive manuevers, crew mustered and activated fire hoses. The pirates chased the ship for 15 minutes and then aborted the attempted attack. The boats were last seen heading towards a fishing vessel in the vicinity.

Last 3 report locations

Date of Occurrence: 10/23/2011 Reference Number: 2011-440 Geographical Subregion: 63 Geographical Location: 4°59' 00" N 54° 29' 00"E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: TANKER Description: 360 MILES EAST OF HOBYO, SOMALIA: Armed pirates in two skiffs chased and attempted to board a tanker underway. Mother ship in the vicinity. Master increased speed, carried out evasive maneuvers and onboard security team fired warning shots. Ship evaded the attack.

Date of Occurrence: 10/20/2011 Reference Number: 2011-443 Geographical Subregion: 61 Geographical Location: 1°11' 30" S 58°32' 18" E
Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: HEAVY LOAD CARRIER Description: 270 MILES OFF SEYCHELLES: Armed pirates in two skiffs chased and fired upon a heavy load carrier underway with intent to hijack. Master raised alarm, increased speed, took evasive maneuvers, contacted CSO and all crew mustered at citadel. Onboard security team returned fire. Later the pirates aborted the attack and moved away.

Date of Occurrence: 10/20/2011 Reference Number: 2011-436 Geographical Subregion: 61 Geographical Location: 1° 12' 00" S 58° 32' 00" E Aggressor: PIRATES Victim: MERCHANT VESSEL Description: WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Merchant vessel attacked in 01-12S 058-32E at 1432Z on 20 Oct. Vessels are advised to keep 100 miles clear of this position and to exercise extreme caution.

One of the most interesting reports is that of an attack in the Sulu Sea near the Philippines. It's been awhile since that was an active area.

Pirate Attack Off Coast of Iran

Early report of an attack on a merchant ship approximately 20 miles off Iran. Attack was unsuccessful.

Reports indicate usual firing of automatic weapons and RPGs.

NATO Shipping Center message:

January 30, 2011

WARNING INDIAN OCEAN

Latitude: 25°01N  Longitude: 060°26E

Alert number 071/ 2011.

At 1013 UTC / 30 JAN 2011 / A merchant vessel was reported under attack by 2 skiffs with 3 POB in. Vessel was fired upon by small arms.

***This vessel managed to evade hijack***

The Pirate Action Group is still in the area.

Location:

This may mark another move by Somali pirates into a major shipping lane.

I suppose that it speaks volumes about the threat perceived by the pirates by Iranian naval or other forces that the pirates can strike within 20 miles of the Iranian coast.

UPDATE: No, I am not suggesting Iran has any obligation to patrol 20 miles off its coast. As far as I know, they assert a 12-miles territorial waters limit and that would also limit their security area. Iran has long been involved with anti-pirate patrols in the Gulf of Aden (here). They may have to start working closer to home.

UPDATE2: New reports are that an Iranian frigate helped break up the attack. See Vesseltracker.com report:

Star Of Abu Dhabi was attacked 30-JAN-11 .....19.6nm SW of Chabahar Port, Iran . . . by a PAG consisting of 2 skiffs with 3 pirates in each . . . The PAG broke off their attack when an Iranian Warship arrived in the area. The vessel was enroute . . . to Port Khomeini in Iran.

Good on Iran, then, in this instance.

Latest ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report (to 15 Oct 09)

As the pirates of Somalia restart after a monsoon break, it's a good time to note that parts of the rest of world have maritime security issues, too. 2009 (to date) Piracy Map from IMB here. From ONI here, the latest Worldwide Threat to shipping Report (to 15 October 09):

G. WEST AFRICA:
.
1. GUINEA: Tanker fired upon 11 Oct 09 at 0012 UTC while underway in position 09:15N- 014:01W, approximately 20NM southwest of Conakry. Nine men armed with machine guns in a 15 meter length speed boat attempted to board the vessel using hooks and ladders. The master raised the alarm, activated DSC alert, increased speed, and conducted evasive maneuvers. The crew mustered and activated fire hoses. The armed men opened fire on the vessel and followed for 30 minutes before finally aborting the attempt. No injuries to the crew were reported. Port authority was contacted, but no response was received (IMB).
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2. GUINEA: Tanker robbed 6 Oct 09 at 2314 UTC while drifting in position 09:08.56N -014:06.06W, approximately 30NM southwest of Conakry. Men armed with automatic rifles and pistols in one boat boarded the vessel while drifting. They stole the crew's cash and escaped. No injury to the crew was reported (IMB).
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3. NIGERIA: Supply vessel robbed 28 Sep 09 close to midnight while underway in position 04:10N- 007:00E, approximately nine nautical miles off Bonny and close to the Bonny Fairway Buoy. The robbers took crew valuables (Risk Intelligence/MaRisk).
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4. NIGERIA: Vessel boarded 21 Sep 09 while underway outside Lagos port. Nine robbers in two boats came close to the astern of the vessel. One of the robbers managed to get onto the stern ramp recess. The crew spotted the robbers and shouted at them. Upon seeing the crew alertness, the robbers aborted their attempt and moved away (IMB).
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5. NIGERIA: Cargo ship robbed 20 Sep 09 at 0815 local time while underway in position 03:59N - 006:46E, Bonny River. Six armed men boarded the vessel, stealing ship's stores and cash. They ransacked the crew cabins, stole personal belongings and left the vessel after approximately one hour. No injuries to the crew were reported (IMB).
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6. NIGERIA: Vessel fired upon 15 Sep 09 at 1315 local time while operating near the Oron Jacket platform in the Oron field. Approximately 12 armed men in two long boats approached the vessel. The captain succeeded in contacting security vessels, who responded by exchanging gunfire with the armed robbers. The two boats eventually fled the scene. No further information was reported (Risk Intelligence/MaRisk).
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7. CAMEROON: Fishing vessel (ROSE III) attacked 10 Oct 09, while operating off the Bakassi Peninsula. No crewmembers were injured in the attack and the vessel was not damaged. Cameroon forces reportedly seized the men responsible for the attack (Reuters, Risk Intelligence/MaRisk).
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8. CAMEROON: Fishing vessel robbed 7 Oct 09 at 0200 local time while underway near the Mandala Bakassi Peninsula. Ten robbers reportedly stole approximately 2 million francs worth of goods from the ship, including the victims' mobile telephones. Reports indicate that one of the vessel's crewmembers is missing and several others including the captain were injured in the incident (Risk Intelligence/MaRisk).
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H. INDIAN OCEAN-EAST AFRICA:
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1. GULF OF OMAN: Container ship reported suspicious approach 11 Oct 09 at 1100 local time while underway in position 25:16.2N - 058:14.9E, approximately 30NM southeast of Jask, Iran. A white speedboat 7 meters in length approached the vessel at a speed of 14 kts. Six people were visible on the boat wearing face masks. The vessel altered its course and conducted evasive maneuvers while increasing speed. The speedboat continued to pursue for approximately 40 minutes before eventually moving away (Operator, IMB).
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2. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 12 Oct 09 at 0345 UTC while underway in position 12:15.83N - 044:04.74E. A fishing vessel closed in on the vessel underway. The master increased speed and took evasive maneuvers, raised the general alarm, and contacted coalition forces. At a distance of approximately 0.5NM, a white and blue hull skiff with five armed men was launched from the fishing vessel. The skiff approached the vessel with a speed of approximately 20 kts but stopped and abandoned the pursuit at a distance of 0.2NM. The incident lasted approximately 25 minutes.
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3. GULF OF ADEN: Tanker reported suspicious approach 7 Oct 09 at 1320 local time
while underway in position 12:07N - 045:26.7E. Three skiffs approached the vessel underway. The vessel increased speed, conducted evasive maneuvers, and enforced counter-piracy measures while contacting coalition forces. The skiffs eventually aborted their pursuit and moved away (IMB).
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4. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier fired upon 5 Oct 09 at 1759 UTC while underway in
position 13:39N - 050:30E. Two skiffs approached the vessel and opened fire with RPGs and automatic weapons. The master conducted evasive maneuvers and contacted coalition forces for assistance. The two skiffs eventually broke off attacks after unsuccessfully attempting to board the vessel (IMB, ONI).
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5. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier fired upon 26 Sep 09 at 0120 UTC while underway in position 13:11.57N-049:25.11E. Eight men armed with guns in two high powered boats approached the vessel, intending to board. The master raised the alarm, conducted evasive maneuvers, fired parachute flares, activated the SSAS and contacted coalition warships on VHF radio seeking assistance. Sea water was run on deck and the crew locked themselves in the bridge. The armed men began firing at the bridge before aborting the attempt when a coalition warship arrived on scene. A coalition helicopter surveyed the bulk carrier to assure no pirates were on board before the vessel resumed course (IMB).
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6. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier fired upon 26 Sep 09 at 0115 UTC while underway in position 13:11.95N-049:19.14E. Four armed men with guns chased and fired upon the vessel. The vessel master increased speed, conducted evasive maneuvers and alerted coalition forces. The armed men fled the area upon the arrival of a coalition warship (IMB).
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7. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier reported suspicious approach 26 Sep 09 at 0800 UTC while underway in position 12:15N-045:39E. Armed men chased the vessel until the vessel master increased speed, conducted evasive maneuvers, and notified coalition forces in the area. The armed men fled the area as a coalition helicopter intervened, thwarting the attempt. No injuries to the crew or damage to the ship was reported (IMB).
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8. GULF OF ADEN: General cargo ship (BBC PORTUGAL) fired upon 20 Sep 09 at 1545 local time while underway in position 12:49.48N - 048:11.82E. One speed boat with seven armed men onboard approached the vessel. The master activated counter-piracy measures, and an armed security team onboard exchanged gunfire with the men in the speedboat. The speedboat aborted its attack headed towards the Yemeni coast. An Australian warship responded to the call and boarded the speedboat, confiscating their weapons before releasing them (Operator, IMB, AFP).
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9. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier fired upon 19 Sep 09 at 0605 UTC while underway in position 13:52N- 051:07E. Approximately seven armed men in a six meter long, white colored skiff fired upon the vessel. They attempted to board the vessel but were unable to do so due to the evasive maneuvers and counter-piracy measures taken by the crew. The master contacted coalition forces for assistance. The men aborted the attempt upon seeing a coalition helicopter arriving at the scene. No injuries to the crew were reported (IMB).
.
10. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier reported attempted boarding 19 Sep 09 at 0600 UTC while underway in position 13:54.2N - 051:09.8E. Approximately six armed men in a white colored speedboat attempted to attack the vessel while it was underway with a convoy of two other vessels. The master altered course and contacted coalition warships for assistance while the crew activated counter-piracy measures. The speedboat chased the vessel for 20 minutes and aborted the attempt upon arrival of a coalition helicopter (IMB).
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11. GULF OF ADEN: Tanker fired upon 19 Sep 09 at 0550 UTC while underway in
position 13:52.10N - 051:04.17E. Four men armed with machine guns in a six meter long, white colored skiff, fired upon the vessel. The master raised the alarm, increased speed, took evasive maneuvers, informed ships in the vicinity and contacted coalition warships for assistance. The crew mustered and activated counter-piracy measures. A coalition helicopter arrived and the men in the skiff aborted the attack. No injuries to the crew were reported (IMB).
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12. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 18 Sep 09 at 0120 local time while underway in position 14:20.2N - 049:47.1E. Men in a small boat approached the vessel and came as close as five meters. The alarm was raised and the crew was alerted. The small boat eventually moved away and no further interaction was reported (IMB).
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13. SOMALIA: Vessel (BARWAQO) fired upon, captain killed 24 Sep 09 while underway near the port of Mogadishu. According to local authorities, armed gangs attacked the vessel as it was heading into port. Local police were called in and an exchange in gunfire occurred in which the vessel's captain was killed. Police were able to thwart the attackers and the vessel was towed into port (AFP).
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14. INDIAN OCEAN: Container ship (KOTA WAJAR) hijacked 15 Oct 09 at 0237 UTC while underway in position 01:33S - 054:52E, approximately 190NM north of Port Victoria, Seychelles. Owners of the vessel received a call stating that the vessel has been attacked and hijacked. No further information is available at this time (AFP, UKMTO).
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15. INDIAN OCEAN: Fishing vessel (GLENAN) fired upon 10 Oct 09 at 0459 UTC,
approximately 165NM north of Port Victoria, Seychelles. Vessel reported coming under fire from two skiffs, shortly after the skiffs reportedly opened fire on the fishing vessel (DRENNEC). A security team onboard fired warning shots, forcing the skiffs to abandon the attack (AP, IMB).
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16. INDIAN OCEAN: Fishing vessel (DRENNEC) fired upon 10 Oct 09 at 0359 UTC
while underway in position 02:05S - 055:58E, approximately 160NM north of Port Victoria, Seychelles. Vessel reported coming under fire from two skiffs, one white and one blue. A security team onboard the fishing vessel returned fire, forcing the skiffs to abandon the attack. Coast guard vessels from the nearby Seychelles archipelago pursued one of the skiffs and disabled the engine (AP, IMB).
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17. INDIAN OCEAN: French navy vessel (SOMME) fired upon 6 Oct 09 at 2119 UTC
while underway in position 01:35N - 050:42E, approximately 320NM east of Mogadishu, Somalia. One skiff with approximately six men onboard opened fire on the ship, likely mistaking the ship for a commercial vessel. The (SOMME) gave chase and captured the suspected pirates (AP, IMB).
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18. INDIAN OCEAN: Vehicle carrier (HOEGH PUSAN) fired upon 4 Oct 09 at 1900 UTC while underway in position 01:47.2S - 056:07.1E, approximately 150NM north of Seychelles. Two unlit boats chased the vessel from astern and opened fire. The master increased speed, conducted evasive maneuvers, started the fire pump and switched on all deck lights. The master contacted coalition forces, increased speed, headed into the wind and activated the SSAS alarm. After approximately 10 minutes, the boats fell behind and the vessel moved away. No injuries to the crew were reported (IMB, Maritime Global Net).
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19. INDIAN OCEAN: Fishing vessel (ALAKRANA) hijacked 2 Oct 09 at 0345 UTC while underway in position 02:36S - 048:34E, approximately 330NM southeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. Armed pirates attacked and hijacked the vessel. The vessel is currently anchored off the coast of Harardhere (AFP, IMB).
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20. INDIAN OCEAN: Container ship reported suspicious approach 16 Sep 09 at 1400 UTC while underway in position 15:20N - 056:27.8E, approximately 170NM southeast of Salalah, Oman. A boat drifting on the port beam of the vessel increased speed and approached the vessel. Due to vessel's higher speed, the boat was unable to get close and eventually moved away (IMB).
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21. INDIA: Bulk carrier robbed 29 Sep 09 at 0330 local time while anchored at Sagar
anchorage. The robbers boarded the vessel undetected and escaped with shipís stores. The robbery was later discovered by the duty officer and watchmen during rounds (IMB).
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22. INDIA: Container ship robbed 18 Sep 09 at 0440 local time while anchored in position 21:41.80N - 088:01E, Sagar road, Kolkata. While anchored, robbers armed with knives boarded the vessel from the starboard side when the duty watchman was taking rounds on the port side. As the duty watchman came back around, the robbers threatened him with knives and stole shipís stores before escaping. Local authorities were informed (IMB).
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23. BANGLADESH: Bulk carrier robbed 13 Oct 09 at 2105 UTC while anchored in
position 22:10.2N - 091:47.4E, Chittagong anchorage. Robbers armed with long knives boarded the vessel from the stern where one crew member was held hostage until they gained access into the steering gear room. Ship's stores and equipment were stolen before the robbers escaped in their boat. Local authorities were informed of the incident (IMB).
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24. BANGLADESH: Bulk carrier reported attempted boarding 3 Oct 09 at 2230 local time while anchored in position 22:00N - 091:40E, Chittagong anchorage. Approximately 10 robbers in a wooden boat approached the vessel and attempted to board. The crewís alertness and barbed wire fitting on the shipís side prevented the robbers from boarding. Local authorities were informed (IMB).
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25. BANGLADESH: Bulk carrier reported attempted boarding 28 Sep 09 at 2030 local time in position 22:14.2N - 091:43.5E, Chittagong anchorage. Eight robbers in a fishing boat attempted to board the vessel when the duty AB spotted them and raised the alarm. The robbers jumped overboard and escaped with nothing stolen upon seeing the alert crew (IMB).
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26. BANGLADESH: Container ship robbed 27 Sep 09 at 1600 UTC while anchored in position 22:15.4N- 091:43.5E, Chittagong anchorage. The duty officer spotted one robber on the poop deck near the entrance to the rope store along with two other robbers who began to chase him armed with knives. The duty officer retreated to the main deck alerting other crew members. The crew arrived armed with crowbars and chased the robbers who jumped overboard escaping with stolen ropes (IMB).
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27. BANGLADESH: Tanker robbed 27 Sep 09 at 0002 local time in position 22:11.22N-091:43.24E, Chittagong anchorage "B". Eight robbers armed with long knives boarded the product tanker from a small wooden fishing boat. The duty Bosun sighted them and informed the OOW who raised the ships alarm. The robbers threatened a crew member, cut some mooring line, and jumped into the water escaping with the stolen stores. Port control was informed of the incident (IMB).
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28. BANGLADESH: Bulk carrier robbed 22 Sep 09 at 2155 local time while anchored in Chittagong anchorage. Five robbers boarded the vessel from the stern anchor when the duty seaman spotted the suspects on his rounds. Upon encountering the robbers, the duty seaman was threatened with a knife. However, he managed to escape and raise the alarm. Once the crew mustered, the robbers jumped overboard and a search revealed that the robbers had stolen ship's stores upon breaking into the steering flat. No injuries to the crew were reported (IMB).
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29. BANGLADESH: Bulk carrier robbed 15 Sep 09 at 2200 local time while anchored in position 22:09.4N - 091:47.2E, Chittagong anchorage. Twelve robbers armed with long knives boarded the vessel from the stern. They took the stern duty watchman hostage and began stealing ship's stores. The roving deck watchman noticed the robbers and informed the duty officer on the bridge. The alarm was raised and the crew alerted. When the crew approached them, the robbers jumped overboard and escaped with ship's stores. Authorities were informed (IMB).
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I. RED SEA:
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1. RED SEA: Vessel reported suspicious approach 16 Sep 09 at 1320 local time while underway in position 15:29N - 041:34E. Vessel reported being chased by two high speed boats with approximately eight people dressed in black in each boat. The approach was made from the port quarter. The vessel increased speed to maximum and conducted evasive maneuvers to put a wake between the vessel and the boats. The boats approached to within 0.5 miles before stopping, and then began drifting (Operator, IMB).
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J. PERSIAN GULF: No current incidents to report.
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K. SOUTHEAST ASIA:
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1. MALAYASIA: Tanker (MMM KINGSTON) reported attempted boarding 14 Sep 09 at 0445 local time while anchored in position 01:18.3N - 104:12.56E, approximately 2NM south of Tanjung Ayam. Six men armed with long knives attempted to board the vessel from a speed boat. Two men attempted to board from the port quarter using a hook while the other four men waited in the speed boat. The duty watch spotted the men, ran into the accommodation and informed the duty officer. The duty officer raised the alarm, sounded the fog horn, and mustered the crew. Upon being discovered, the men aborted the boarding, jumped overboard, and fled in their speed boat. No crewmembers were injured. The ship master reported the incident to the IMB, who relayed the information to Singapore's Port Operation Control Centre (ReCAAP).
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2. MALAYSIA: Tanker (PACIFIC HARMONY) reported attempted boarding 14 Sep 09 at 0240 local time while anchored in position 01:18.5N - 104:13.8E, approximately 2NM south of Tanjung Ayam. Five men attempted to board the vessel from a boat. The duty watch raised the alarm when he spotted two men using a stick with a hook attempting to board the vessel from the poop deck. The crew was alerted through the public address system. Upon hearing the alarm, the men aborted the boarding, jumped into the water, and fled in their boat. No crewmembers were injured. The ship master reported the incident to Singapore's Vessel Traffic Information System and the Port Operation Control Centre via VHF. ReCAAP Comment: The ReCAAP
ISC notes some similarities in the modus operandi of the robbers in the two incidents. Although there is no conclusive evidence as yet, it appears that the same group of robbers was probably involved (ReCAAP).
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3. SINGAPORE: Tanker (LANTANA) boarded 13 Oct 09 at 0355 local time while
anchored in position 01:17N - 104:10.5E, eastern outer port limit. The navigation watch officers sighted a small boat alongside the starboard while anchored awaiting instructions from the company. The small boat was covered with a green canopy and had six men onboard. Two of the men boarded the vessel at the poop deck. The watch officers activated the general alarm and mustered all the crew. Upon hearing the alarm, the men escaped in their boat. No injuries to the crew were reported (ReCAAP).
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4. INDONESIA: Tanker robbed 18 Sep 09 at 1927 UTC while anchored in position
03:55.2N - 098:45.8E, Belawan outer anchorage. Three robbers armed with long knives boarded the vessel via the forecastle by using a rope and a hook. The robbers threatened the forward duty watch who raised the alarm and retreated into the accommodation. The crew mustered and went forward to check. Upon seeing the crew, the robbers jumped overboard and escaped with shipís equipment. Attempts to contact local authorities were unsuccessful (IMB).
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5. SOUTH CHINA SEA: Bulk carrier robbed 19 Sep 09 at 2230 local time in position
03:00N-105:14E, off Pulau Mangkai. Eight men armed with long knives and crowbars broke into the 2/O cabin, tied up his hands and threatened his life, forcing him to call the master. In the meantime, the C/E was also tied up. The robbers rushed into the captain's cabin and demanded the ships money. Upon receiving the money, the robbers escaped onto a long wooden skiff with the money as well as personal items belonging to the crew. The C/E and 2/O were then able to free themselves and raise the alarm. No injuries to the crew were reported (IMB).
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6. SOUTH CHINA SEA: Tanker (PROSPECT) robbed 19 Sep 09 at 0020 local time while underway in position 03:20.01N - 105:19.50E, approximately 50NM northwest of Anambas Islands. Six men armed with knives and machetes boarded the tanker. They hit the duty officer in the head and forced him to bring them to the cabins of the captain and chief officer, who handed over cash and their personal effects. After the men left the tanker, the crew activated the ship security alert. Apart from the duty officer who suffered bruises, the other crew members were not injured. The shipping company reported the incident to Singapore's Port Operations Control Centre (ReCAAP).
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7. PHILIPPINES: Container ship robbed 12 Oct 09 while berthed in Pier 5, South Harbor, Manila. An undetermined number of robbers boarded the vessel and stole equipment. Port State Control Center dispatched personnel to intercept the robbers as they fled in an unregistered motor launch towards the coastal area of Las Pinas City. Authorities were unable to capture the robbers. No one from the vessel was injured and authorities are conducting follow-up operations for the immediate arrest of the men responsible (Risk Intelligence/MaRisk).

Hijackings marked in red by me.

Add to the list the hijacking of Chinese bulk carrier reported here.

Somali Pirates: Harvest Moon?

Over on the right side of this blog I have both a moon status box and a couple of "winds off Somalia" boxes.

You might note that the moon is currently waxing gibbous and that the winds are down in the Gulf of Aden. What is approaching, in fact, is the "harvest moon" - when around October 4, moonrise of a full moon occurs as the sun sets, giving a lengthy period of reasonable lighting for activities that might otherwise have to be stopped on account of darkness.

What is a "harvest moon?" From here:

Here is the celebrity of the hour – perhaps the biggest of the entire autumn season – the legendary Harvest Moon. The moon reaches the crest of its full phase at 06:10 Universal Time on October 4. That is 1:10 a.m. tomorrow morning in the central U.S.

All of us around the globe find tonight’s moon in the same approximate place as every full moon – in the east as the sun sets and twilight begins to wash the sky. It’s this big red Harvest Moon – ascending over the eastern horizon around the time of sunset – that everyone writes songs about. You’ll see why if your sky is clear and you have a lovely setting for moonrise tonight.

Like any full moon, the Harvest Moon shines all night long. So what’s special about the Harvest Moon? On the average, the moon rises 50 minutes later every night. But not the Harvest Moon! At mid-northern latitudes, the Harvest Moon rises 25 to 30 minutes later for several evenings in a row. And at far northern latitudes, the Harvest Moon rises 5 to 10 minutes later for several evenings in a row.

In olden times before electricity, farmers counted on the lamp of the Harvest Moon to gather their crops. Making up for the autumn season’s waning daylight, the Harvest Moon faithfully provides several nights of dusk-till-dawn moonlight. This bonanza of moonlight remains the legacy of the Harvest Moon!

Yes, it's "harvest moon" time - and a time to be wary of pirates, too.

Piracy Round Up (23 September 2009)

Australian Navy breaks up a Somali pirate ship hunt, as set out here:

Australian sailors from the warship HMAS Toowoomba have thwarted a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden, boarding a suspect vessel and seizing a cache of military weapons.
***
The incident occurred late on Sunday night after Toowoomba, an Anzac class frigate, received an emergency call from the freighter MV BBC Portugal, reporting a boat carrying an armed group was approaching at high speed.
***
As Toowoomba sailed at top speed towards BBC Portugal, coalition P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft and a naval helicopter from another coalition warship spotted the suspect vessel.

They confirmed sighting weapons on the vessel and also that the crew had disposed of a number of items overboard, including a ladder.

On reaching the scene, Toowoomba launched her boarding team to investigate.

A search of the vessel revealed a rocket-propelled grenade launcher (RPG), six AK-47 assault rifles, a G-3 assault rifle and a large quantity of ammunition.

UPDATE: There's more to the story than is reported above. Gulf of Aden Group Transits reports that there was a Yemeni Navy team on BBC Portugal and sends along this:

Late afternoon of Sunday 20th of September, a Bulk Carrier reported an approach of a skiff while in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden. On board of the Bulk Carrier a unit of the Yemeni Navy was embarked. On sighting of these military personnel the skiff abandoned the approach and tried to flee as reported by the merchant vessel to the UK Maritime Trade Organization in Bahrain. UKMTO alerted other merchant vessels and the Counter Piracy Forces on MERCURY, the EU introduced common counter piracy communication system.

Thereupon a Japanese P3 reconnaissance aircraft, already on site, reported position information to other Counter Piracy forces. The Australian warship Toowoomba of CTF 151, closest to the skiff, was assisted by the helicopter of the German EU NAVFOR warship FGS Bremen in stopping the fleeing skiff. On sighting of the helicopter unknown items and a ladder were thrown over the bow of the skiff and all eight persons on the skiff raised their arms awaiting the boarding team of HMAS Toowoomba. During the boarding all piracy related paraphernalia were seized and destroyed. The helicopter of FGS Bremen continued to secure the area from the air.

This is just one example of the excellent coordination and cooperation between the Counter Piracy Task Forces active in the Gulf of Aden. The use of the common communication system MERCURY proved its utility again.

FGS Bremen takes part in the EU NAVFOR mission Operation ATALANTA. The main tasks of Operation ATALANTA are to escort merchant vessels carrying food of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP), the protection of vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.

GOAGT adds:

We had placed an armed Yemen Navy team on the vessel and it is they who fired warning shots to the pirates to ward them off whilst we called for coalition assets to assist to which a multinational scenario played out involving the German, Australian and Japanese Navy who all supplied assets to the cause.

However the underlying fact is that the embarked Yemen Navy team thwarted the attack – NOT the Australians.....

(end Update) M/V BBC Portugal Photo Copyright by Ashley Hunn, from Shipspotting.com and is used in accordance with terms set forth therein.

South Korean Navy stops Somali pirates, as set out in Destroyer Rescues 3 Vessels From Pirates Off Somalia:

A Korean naval unit has rescued three foreign vessels from being hijacked by pirates operating off the coast of Yemen as part of a U.S.-led anti-piracy campaign, Yonhap News reported Sunday.

The Dae Jo Yeong, a destroyer with the South Korean naval unit Cheonghae, Sunday rescued three ships registered under Cyprus, the Marshal Islands and the Bahamas from pirates near waters off Yemen at 3:13 p.m. on Saturday, military officials here said.
***
The unit, which rescued five Yemeni sailors captured by the pirates the previous day, has so far successfully intervened in nine separate pirate raids.

Naval officials said they released the pirates, who had used a boat registered to Yemen as their mode of transportation, due to the difficulties involved in processing and bringing legal charges against them.

How the international warships off Somalia talk even if they aren't good friends, explained here by StrategyPage:

So the British took the initiative of establishing a "neutral" communications channel for all the warships on anti-piracy patrol. This is a secure Internet based communication system called Mercury. All the ships engaged in counter-piracy operations have access to Mercury. This makes it possible for ships to request information, or cooperation, from other ships, despite whatever currently icy diplomatic conditions may exist between the two nations involved. Thus the Iranian warships can discretely work together with U.S. warships.

Ship attacks rise to 5 year high in South China Sea:

Increased naval patrols in the Straits of Malacca have forced pirates in Asia to move their operations to the South China Sea, where the number of attacks on ships is at a five-year high, an official said Tuesday.

At least 10 ships were attacked in the South China Sea so far this year, the latest on Saturday when six pirates boarded a Singapore-registered liquefied petroleum gas tanker, said Amy Fang of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, or ReCAAP.

The attackers assaulted the duty officer and robbed the ship's crew, Fang said.

She said it was "worrying" that 10 attacks have taken place with more than three months still to go this year, compared to nine attacks in 2005 in South China Sea.

"The pirates seem to have more heavy weapons" than before, and are attacking ships rather than just threaten the crew, Fang told The Associated Press from the Singapore base of ReCAAP, an information-sharing group sponsored by 17 countries in the region to fight piracy.

One such attack, reported by ReCAAP (arrow points to general area of attack):

Persian Gulf: Pirate Attack

Report of an attack on a dhow in the area between UAE and Bahrain in Ship with Indian crew attacked by pirates in the Gulf:

A traditional wooden ship with Indian crew sailing from the United Arab Emirates toward Bahrain was the target of the first act of sea piracy reported in Persian Gulf waters in years, according to details of the attack that emerged on Sunday.

The Bahraini dhow was intercepted on Friday night by another ship with an armed crew, security sources said.

The four pirates threatened the six-man Indian crew with guns and assaulted them before taking their cargo of fish and mobile phones, sources said. The crew members said they believed the pirates were Iranian, but their nationality could not be positively confirmed.

The Indian sailors were unharmed. They were released and arrived in a Bahraini port on Sunday.

The case represents the first time an act of piracy has been reported inside the Gulf since the issue of piracy again came to the forefront of international attention off the Somali coast in recent years.

UPDATE: Speaking of Iran, the Iranian Navy is making another deployment to the Arabian Sea to counteract pirates, as set out here. Meanwhile, the IRGC "navy" asserts "mission accomplished" as a result of its deployment to the Gulf of Aden:

The IRGC Navy completed its trans-regional mission to provide security for the Iranian commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden, brigadier general Ali Fadavi said in a ceremony to welcome the naval unit.

During the 107-day mission, tens of Iranian and non-Iranian ships safely sailed across the Gulf Aden and pirates never dared to approach any commercial ships, Fadavi added.

He said the IRGC used special tactics to foil the pirates'' attacks on the Iranian ships; he added the IRGC once again proved its capability in establishing security outside Iran’s geographical borders.

The general went on to say that the U.S. and European countries have failed to repel the piracy threat facing their vessels, while their advanced naval fleets are present in the region.

No, really. Protecting "tens" of ships. And allowing the sun to rise and set all at the same time. It's a wonder.

MV Arctic Sea: Yet More Mystery as Report Says Ship Carried Super Secret Cargo

Secrets apparently not being what they used to be, a report has surfaced that the nominally timber carrying Finnish owned, Maltese registered, Russian manned MV Arctic Sea was not just an old, tired timber carrying ship, but a converted into something else to be a carrier of a very mysterious cargo installed in a Russian shipyard behind a bulkhead that had to be removed to make space for it. Or something.

NY Times and Reuters have the claims under the headline Hijackers Threatened to Blow Up Mystery Ship :

The official version of events was questioned by Yulia Latynina, a leading Russian opposition journalist and commentator.

"The Arctic Sea was carrying something, not timber and not from Finland, that necessitated some major work on the ship," she wrote in the Moscow Times newspaper on Wednesday.

During two weeks of repair works in the Russian port of Kaliningrad just before the voyage, the ship's bulkhead was dismantled so something very large could be loaded, she wrote.

"To put it plainly: The Arctic Sea was carrying some sort of anti-aircraft or nuclear contraption intended for a nice, peaceful country like Syria, and they were caught with it," she said.

Much as I want to apply Occam's razor to this issue, there are some compelling facts that could sustain a good conspiracy theory - such as the Russian navy being sent in some degree of force to find a ship in which, as near as I can tell, their legal interest ought to be hovering around zero. That the crew was Russian might make the Russian moves were undertaken under - as odd as it is to say about the Russians - "humanitarian" grounds. and, of course, once the pirates were found on the high seas instead of, say, Spanish waters, then the Russians had the legal right to take action. The current law probably most applicable to this "high seas" situation is UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, Part VII, :

Article 105. Seizure of a pirate ship or aircraft

On the high seas, or in any other place outside the jurisdiction of any State, every State may seize a pirate ship or aircraft, or a ship or aircraft taken by piracy and under the control of pirates, and arrest the persons and seize the property on board. The courts of the State which carried out the seizure may decide upon the penalties to be imposed, and may also determine the action to be taken with regard to the ships, aircraft or property, subject to the rights of third parties acting in good faith.

Which, of course, points out how convenient it was that the putative pirates managed to have the ship sailed to clearly international waters where the Russians could act without incurring the wrath of sovereign states that lined the ship's path to where it was boarded.

Not that there is anything suspicious in that. Much.

Some experts note that it likely the alleged boarders are/were Russian mafia and that it is extremely unlikely we will ever be in a position to chat with them. And, there is always the possibility that they may attempt an escape, the sort of escape from which dead men tell no tales.

I have the feeling that this little ship will be making news for some time to come.

And I repeat my warnings about ships that can drop off the radar.

But, please, use the comment section to join in the fun of guessing what that bulkhead had to be moved for. First prize is free access to this blog for a year.

This site has compiled some guesses already.

To relive the exciting story of MV Arctic Sea, clicking on the label "MV Arctic Sea" ought to capture most of my posts on the topic.

UPDATE: Cargo suggestions: anti-aircraft missiles.
A raft of suggestions and more in the comments here. Not much nautical knowledge, though.

UPDATE2: More -uh- clarity from The Moscow Times with some interesting analysis:

The lumber’s value has been put at $1.8 million, a sum that hardly justifies an attack that would amount to the most blatant act of sea banditry in European waters in centuries.

Yet the official version of what transpired is fraught with inconsistencies, prompting observers to suggest that Russian authorities are trying to cover up a smuggling or trafficking operation.

When Swedish police first said the ship had been hijacked near the island of Gotland on July 24, they cited the crew as saying masked men had bound and beat them before fleeing in a high-speed boat.

Yet Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said Monday that the same hijackers — four Estonians, two Latvians and two Russians — were found on the ship off West Africa and they surrendered without a shot being fired.

One possible explanation for this contradiction is a statement issued by the European Commission last Friday that said the ship had “supposedly” been attacked twice, the first time off the Swedish coast and then off the Portuguese coast.

Reached by telephone Wednesday, a commission spokesman refused to elaborate on the statement.
***
Also, Malta’s Maritime Authority acknowledged Tuesday that the ship “had never really disappeared,” seemingly confirming a claim by Moscow’s NATO representative Dmitry Rogozin that disinformation “was used intentionally in order not to hamper the military’s work.”

Speaking by telephone from Brussels, a NATO spokesman confirmed Wednesday that the Western alliance had used its tracking system to assist Moscow in finding the ship.

Yet Finnish police said Wednesday that contact with the Arctic Sea was in fact lost for some time. “We did not have full track of the ship for the whole time, but a while before the Russian operation took place we were following one that we strongly suspected to be it,” police spokesman Jan-Olof Nyholm said by telephone from Helsinki.

Of course, the best part, an indication the ship was acting "strangely in the waters off Sweden:

Further complicating the picture are Swedish media reports suggesting that the Arctic Sea was hiding a second, smaller vessel while sailing off Sweden’s east coast.

Data from an automatic vessel tracking system showed that the Arctic Sea’s crew constantly tried to hide one side of the ship from being visible to other ships in the vicinity, the Dagens Nyheter newspaper, citing a Swedish coast guard official, reported on its web site Wednesday.

More Piracy Off Europe? I don't think so

Business Week asks the question: "Piracy in Northern Seas: A New Trend?", based on the misadventures of the MV Arctic Sea:

A mysterious hijacking in the Baltic Sea has European authorities concerned about the spread of piracy into the Northern Hemisphere

I don't think European authorities should be losing much sleep over concerns that the Baltic or North Atlantic or even the Mediterranean are about to become like the waters off Somalia.

Somalia offers pirates a situation non-existent in northern waters- a failed state right on a couple of major sea lanes. Upon grabbing a ship, the pirates, under threat of executing the ship's crew, can run for the safety of Somali waters where they have support from shore bases.

European waters, by contrast, abound with traffic control lanes, positive ship check in points, coast guards, police and effective military forces. There are no safe haven areas for a captured ship to be taken while ransom negotiations are worked through.

Indeed, one of the unanswered questions concerning Arctic Sea's alleged hijackers has to do with where, exactly, were they headed? Arriving off the coast of Africa doesn't mean safety - most African states are not the uncivilized jumble of Somalia - there are coast guards and military forces to contend with.

Perhaps a well oiled criminal enterprise could "sneak" ships into some West African port, but ... it would be very hard. In his post on Phantom Ships, Daniel Sekulich, author of Terror on the Seas offers up the saga of a 1999 "mystery ship" wandering from Russia through the Med, off Africa and, finally, to India- where the tale did not end well for the hijackers. Daniel's tale points out that the marine community was on the trail of the ship as soon as it became apparent something was amiss.

There are many factors that would militate against there being a "trend" in piracy off Europe. Of greater concern to the maritime security world is what appeared to be the ability of the ship to slip off the grid - which, as discussed here might have some serious national security ramifications.

It is, perhaps, some comfort to hear from some authorities that they had a bead on Arctic Sea all the time (see here) - which eases the security issues a little.

But a trend in Euro piracy? Based on a one-off event?

I don't think so.

MV Arctic Sea: Pirates Arrested

If this report holds up a lot of people will be proven wrong (including me) about the adventures of MV Arctic Sea - but the Russian Navy has announced the arrest of eight pirates allegedly involved in the hijacking of the ship. As reported by the Telegraph: Russian navy arrests eight "pirates" who seized the cargo ship Arctic Sea:

Eight 'pirates' of Russian, Latvian and Estonian nationality have been arrested for the hijacking of the cargo ship Arctic Sea in Swedish waters.

Following the arrests, which took place on board the ship, Anatoly Serdyukov, the Russian defence minister, has given more details of events surrounding the mystery vessel and its diversion to west Africa by the hijackers.

"These people, after claiming that their boat was not working, boarded the Arctic Sea and using the threat of arms, demanded that the crew follow all of their orders without condition," he said.

"Then the Arctic Sea moved on to an African route indicated by the aggressors to after turning off navigation equipment."

"Eight people - not members of the crew - have been detained," he said.

The suspects, who boarded the ship in Swedish waters, include four Estonian citizens, two Latvians and two Russian nationals.
***
European and Russian maritime experts had speculated that that the ship's hijacking was not connected with an official manifest of timber and could be linked to an illegal cargo, such as arms, drugs or even nuclear materials, carried without the knowledge of crew or the ship's owners.

Well, it is an explanation.

I doubt it will end the speculation, though.

Whether there be pirates or not, the MV Arctic Sea sailed into history and legend over the past couple of weeks.

Me? I'm looking for Occam's razor . . .

UPDATE: BBC report.

MV Arctic Sea: The Mystery Continues

Spiegel Online has a nice round up of everything that is unknown about the MV Arctic Sea at Pirates, Mercenaries Or Smugglers?: Missing Russian Ship Reportedly Spotted. This includes a report of an unconfirmed ransom demand for the ship and another report of a second attack on this ship:

The German business daily reports that the ship was apparently hijacked, and that a ransom of around $1.5 million has been asked for. However, these reports remain unconfirmed. Meanwhile a spokesperson for Antonio Tajani, the European commissioner for transport, told news agencies that the ship had actually been the victim of two attacks -- one off the coast of Sweden, and another off the coast of Portugal. But, he said, it seemed as though the attacks had nothing to do with "traditional piracy" or "armed attacks on the high seas."

For those of you interested in seeing older reports posted as this story has unfolded (oldest post last), you can visit the links here, here, here, here, here and here.

And, if there aren't enough unknowns, the "found" reports may be premature - according to the Russians as set out here:

The Arctic Sea, which disappeared with a 15-strong Russian crew on board more than two weeks ago, was spotted about 520 miles off the Cape Verde islands yesterday, according to French officials.

But today Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported that it was still unconfirmed whether the sighted ship was the Arctic Sea.

More here:

According to the Itar-Tass news agency in Russia Alexander Karpushin, the country's ambassador in Cape Verde, had been unable to clarify the situation.

He told the Vesti news channel: “I met with the country’s authorities, in particular with the chief of the general staff of Cape Verde’s armed forces, who did not confirm the information that the ship had been detected.”

The Russian maritime website, Sovfrakht, also reported the ship's tracking system was broadcasting signals from the Bay of Biscay at 8.30am today.

The Bay of Biscay? As you can see from the map, there is a distance between "somewhere off Cape Verde" and "in the Bay of Biscay."

I'd pay attention to where the Russian Navy is heading.

Let the fun continue.

UPDATE: A report that there was a ransom demand:

A Finnish police officer told the AFP news agency on Saturday that a demand had been made in connection with the Arctic Sea, a 4,000 tonne Finnish-owned cargo ship.

Detective chief superintendent Jan Nyholm said: "Yes, it is true that there has been a demand for ransom, which is money.

"The demand has been made to the company which owns the ship, Solchart Management in Finland."

Markku Ranta-Aho of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation told national YLE radio that the demand was addressed to the Finland-based company that owns the Arctic Sea, but would not give further details or say where the ship might be located.

UPDATE2: Videos of interest:
Ransom demand:

Ship may not be valuable, crew is:
A good question How on earth has the 'Arctic Sea' vanished?. And some more thoughts on this mess as a Warning Shot.

Russian Fleet Pursuing Leads in Ship Disappearance

Following up on earlier posts concerning the disappearance of a Maltese-flagged/Finnish-owned/Russian-manned timber ship (see here, here and here), a chunk of the Russian Navy has been pressed into service to locate the missing vessel Arctic Sea, as set out here:

Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian navy, told the state news agency Itar-Tass: “Under the orders of President Dmitry Medvedev all Russian naval ships in the Atlantic have been sent to join the search for the Arctic Sea.”

Russia’s radar systems and satellites are also also searching for the ship amid unconfirmed reports that it was heading towards Africa.

A Defence Ministry spokesman told the RIA Novosti agency: “The main task lies with the patrol combatant vessel Ladnyy of the Black Sea Fleet, which passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on 12 August and is following the set course.”

The large amphibious warships Azov, Yamal and Novocherkassk were also reported to have entered the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar, suggesting that ships on a pre-arranged military exercise have now received a signal from Moscow to join the hunt for the Arctic Sea.

I'm a little unclear about the section referring to "Russia's radar systems" which does not seem to be referring to shipboard radar.

UPDATE: No time to fully explore, but here's an intriguing report:

A Spanish port authority has officially denied claims by Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA Novosti that missing Russian general cargoship Arctic Sea has turned up at one of the ports for which it is responsible.

.
UPDATE2: Fairplay reports Russian questions for ship operator:

THE FINNISH company on record as owning the missing Arctic Sea said its officials have been interrogated by Russian security investigators, Fairplay was told today.

Nikolay Karpenkov, managing director of Solchart Arkhangelsk, said he answered questions from “the special organs who demanded this information from me”.
***

The article also notes that, given the ship's fuel capacity, the ship had better be near its destination or the tank may run dry.

Many have suggested that destination is somewhere along the African west coast.

UPDATE3: Daniel Sekulich on "phantom ships".