U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 23 April - 20 May 2020 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 14 - 20 May 2020

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 21 November 2019 - 24 December 2019 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 19 to 24 December 2019

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

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

Malacca Straits and South China Sea Piracy: Combined Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore patrols?

Reported as by IHS Maritime 360 Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore discuss joint patrols:

The navies of littoral states Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are in talks to extend joint patrols to the lower reaches of South China Sea in a bid to curb piracy.

Rear Admiral Lai Chung Han, chief of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), highlighted some of the challenges in conducting these joint patrols such as competing territorial claims in these waters.

"There is concern with the proximity to the contested claims of South China Sea, and we certainly don't want those issues to be conflated. We are very focused on dealing with the piracy situation and none of us really benefit from letting this situation fester," said Rear Adm Lai.

He also does not rule out the possibility of collaboration between certain militant groups and pirates in attacking Western economic interests at strategic sea lanes such as the Strait of Malacca.

"Of course when there is any doubt, we never rule out the possibility that the pirates on board, or the ship that has been commandeered, could also be used for terrorist purposes, and we have the means to deal with that," added Rear Adm Lai.

There is already in place an agreement covering the Strait of Malacca. This new agreement would allow expansion of the area covered apparently into areas impacted by small tanker hijackings.

As you can see from the nearby image from the ICC's International Maritime Bureau's Live Piracy Map pirate attacks in the area are common.

Strait of Malacca/South China Sea Fuel Pirates: How to Beat Them?

In recent months, there has been a seeming upsurge in the hijacking of small tankers near the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea (SoM/SCS). These hijacking result in the transfer of cargo from these hijacked ships to other vessels. The most recent case is reported as Pirates Hijack Product Tanker in South China Sea:

Another commercial ship appears to have fallen victim of pirate attacks. Namely, Honduras registered product tanker Moresby 9, carrying 2200 metric tonne of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) was boarded by unknown number of perpetrators on July 4th at about 1938 hrs (local time) approximately 34 nautical miles from the Anambas Islands, Indonesia, ReCAAP ISC said.
***
This is believed to be the seventh attack in the region since April.

As others have noted, this sort of activity has a lengthy history in the region, but seems to be on the uptick.

With that in mind, SeaShip in Focus has a recent article on fighting this threat in the SoM/SCS ares at "How to beat the pirates":

Piracy in Southeast Asia is nothing new. What is new, however, is the jump in numbers and the very specific targeting of certain types of ships.

This spike in hijacking and cargo theft has been brought about by the black market demand for marine fuel oil in Southeast Asia, says Steve McKenzie, a senior analyst at the UK firm, Dryad Maritime. *** The common denominator for all of these hijackings and cargo theft incidents this year has been Singapore.***

“The stealing of oil products in the region is targeted product theft, which results in the stolen cargo being sold on the black market,” says Gerry Northwood, the coo of security firm, GoAGT.
***
“We assess that these crimes will continue unabated until the black market in marine fuel oil is curtailed and the crime syndicates who are controlling the gangs who carry out the crimes are dealt with,” the Dryad analyst reckons.
***
The piracy model currently used in Southeast Asia is very similar to that used by Nigerian gangs, who in recent years have been hijacking large product tankers across West Africa and then stealing fuel oil. These crimes are intelligence led and well-coordinated.
***
So then, what’s the way to deal with this scourge?

GoAGT’s Northwood admits that finding a way to solve to the maritime criminality and piracy problem in Southeast Asia is not going to be straightforward.

“Most of the incidents are occurring inside territorial waters, which makes the legal use of weapons as a means of deterrent very difficult to achieve without the enlistment of government military or navy,” he explains.

The primary solution is to end the black market for the stolen cargo, says Dryad’s McKenzie. The syndicate that is controlling the gangs must have good connections within the fuel business in Singapore, he reckons. If these links were broken it would be more difficult to target specific vessels.

". . .until the black market . . . is curtailed" -- that may be a very long time.

As you read through the article, you will note that some of the passive/defensive suggestions set out in the anti-Somali piracy Best Management Practices 4 are suggested.

It is also worth remembering that Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia reached some agreements regarding pursuit of pirates in the Strait of Malacca in the past. Some of these issues arise from the fact that there often is no "high seas" ( as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)) between the territorial waters of adjacent states in the Strait and in and around the islands that dot the area involved in these hijackings.

Whoa! There are limits on pirate hunting!

However, there are issues outside of the agreement area - as discussed here and in other posts, under the UNCLOS Part VII in which hijackers can commit their acts in the territorial waters of one state and escape "hot pursuit" by that state's navy/coast guard by sliding across in the territorial waters of a neighboring state:

Article 111. Right of hot pursuit

1. The hot pursuit of a foreign ship may be undertaken when the competent authorities of the coastal State have good reason to believe that the ship has violated the laws and regulations of that State. Such pursuit must be commenced when the foreign ship or one of its boats is within the internal waters, the archipelagic waters, the territorial sea or the contiguous zone of the pursuing State, and may only be continued ouside the territorial sea or the contiguous zone if the pursuit has not been interrupted. It is not necessary that, at the time when the foreign ship within the territorial sea or the contiguous zone receives the order to stop, the ship giving the order should likewise be within the territorial sea or the contiguous zone. If the foreign ship is within a contiguous zone, as defined in article 33, the pursuit may only be undertaken if there has been a violation of the rights for the protection of which the zone was established.

2. The right of hot pursuit shall apply mutatis mutandis to violations in the exclusive economic zone or on the continental shelf, including safety zones around continental shelf installations, of the laws and regulations of the coastal State applicable in accordance with this Convention to the exclusive economic zone or the continental shelf, including such safety zones.

3. The right of hot pursuit ceases as soon as the ship pursued enters the territorial sea of its own State or of a third State.

Since the hijackings often take place within the territorial waters of a state and not on the "high seas" they are not really "piracy" under the terms of UNCLOS but "sea robbery" or even simple theft or larceny not subject to such international law as there is, but to the laws of the states involved.

In short, it can be quite the mess. I suppose the problems of sorting all this out make "curtailing" the black market seem easy by comparison. It does presuppose that there is no cooperation from -uh- associations of persons powerful enough to provide top cover for the sale of the hijacked cargo.

Better communications, frequent security patrols and naval/private escorts for likely targets may be required to slow down these robbers.

Sea Piracy: The Value of Trained Armed Private Security Teams

Indian Ocean/Strait of Malacca Area Piracy as of 8 May 2104

Ripped from the pages of the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence's Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 29 March – 30 April 2014, these reports might give an indication of why piracy is down off Somalia:

1. (U) GULF OF ADEN: On 17 April, five armed persons in a skiff approached an underway bulk carrier near position 12:24 N –043:42 E, approximately 21 nm southeast of Perim Island, Yemen. The ship’s master raised alarm, mustered the crew, increased speed and charged fire hoses. The onboard security team fired flares, but the skiff continued its approach. At a distance of 0.15nm a ladder was sighted in the skiff and the security team showed their weapons, resulting in the skiff aborting the attempt and moving away. (IMB)

2. (U) GULF OF ADEN: On 14 April, seven persons armed with an RPG in a white-and blue skiff approached an oil tanker near position 12:25 N – 043:43 E, south of the Bab El Mandeb Strait in the Gulf of Aden. The ship’s master raised the alarm, sounded ship’s whistle, activated fire hoses, and fired two warning flares. When the armed embarked security team displayed their weapons, the skiff departed the area. The security team reported observing a ladder on the skiff during the incident. (IMB)

3. (U) YEMEN: On 13 April, four persons in a skiff approached an underway chemical tanker near position 13:58 N – 055:32 E, approximately 106 nm northeast of Socotra Island, Yemen. The master raised alarm, increased speed, and mustered the non-essential crew members in the citadel. As the skiff closed to four cables, the armed embarked security team fired a warning shot, which resulted in the skiff departing the area. The security team reported observing a ladder on the skiff during the incident. (IMB)

4. (U) GULF OF ADEN: On 5 April, five persons in a skiff approached an underway chemical tanker near position 12:35 N – 043:26 E, Bab El Mandeb Strait in the Gulf of Aden. The master raised the alarm, altered course, and directed non-essential crew members to muster in a safe room. When the skiff got to within a third of a nautical mile of the tanker, the armed embarked security team fired a warning shot, which resulted in the skiff departing the area. (IMB)

5. (U) OMAN: On 5 April, two skiffs and a dhow approached a merchant vessel to within 300 meters near position 2015 N – 05902 E, approximately 15 nm from Masirah Island, Oman. When an armed embarked security team fired warning shots, the skiffs turned away. (NATO Shipping Centre)

H. (U) PERSIAN GULF: No current incidents to report.

Obviously, the armed private security teams are valuable, especially in conjunction with the naval forces in the area and the continued use of convoys in the region.

Worth comparing are the following hijackings and cargo thefts (previously noted here:

6. (U) MALAYSIA: On 22 April, up to ten heavily armed pirates boarded and hijacked the product tanker, MT NANIWA MARU No 1, near position 02:59 N – 100:54 E, 3 nm west-northwest of One Fathom Bank, near Port Klang. The pirates pumped out 3 million liters of the
4.5 million liters of diesel carried by the tanker into two waiting vessels and then made off with three Indonesian crew members, including the captain and chief engineer. (IMB, gCaptain, www.theguardian.com)
***
12. (U) MALAYSIA: On 17 April, 16 armed pirates boarded and hijacked an underway product tanker near position 01:59 N – 104:25 E, 26 nm south-southwest of Pulau Aur. The pirates then transferred part of the fuel cargo into smaller unknown tankers. Crew and ship properties were stolen and ship communication equipment damaged. Master and crew managed to repair the damage and proceed to a safe port. (IMB)

The countries adjacent to the Strait of Malacca tend to -um- discourage armed private security teams. Since that water is also their territorial waters, that is their privilege.

Map at the top is but a part of the information provided by the ICC Commercial Crime Services' International Maritime Bureau, a very worthy organization.

Strait of Malacca Piracy: Product Tanker Hijacked, Product Stolen

Arrow indicates area of attack

Report from the IMB here:

07.11.2013: 0330 LT: Posn: 01:20.6N-103:18.2E, around 7.3nm West of Pulau Kukup, Malaysia. Ten robbers armed with guns and knives boarded and hijacked a product tanker underway. They tied up all the crew members and held them hostage in one cabin. Later they commanded that Master to steer the ship to a pre-designated position. The vessel came alongside another orange hull tanker and the robbers forced the C/O and the bosun to use the cargo pumps and valves and the mooring winches. At around 1600LT the robbers left the ship after transferring and stealing all the gas oil. Before leaving the ship the robbers also stole crew belongings. No crew injured during incident.

Area of attack circled

As noted here, this the second incident of this type in a month and the third in two months:

An oil tanker has become the second such vessel to be hijacked in Malaysian waters in four weeks, the International Maritime Bureau said today, adding it marked rising piracy in the region.

A Panamanian-flagged vessel was yesterday boarded by 10 armed pirates, who emptied it of the oil it was carrying into another ship before disembarking.

In early October a Thai-flagged oil tanker went missing for two days after a hijacking before being released without its cargo.

The IMB said there had been an increase in the number of attacks on Malaysia’s coast recently but added it could not be sure if the two most recent attacks were by the same group.

Strait of Malacca piracy so far in 1013 (IMB)

“This is the third attack in two months, with the last two using the same modus operandi to steal the gas oil,” said Noel Choong, head of IMB’s Kuala Lumpur-based piracy reporting centre.

Very similar to the oil theft piracy going on in the Gulf of Guinea, too.

In any event, piracy is on the increase in these waters.

Strait of Malacca Piracy: Cargo Hijacked, Ship Released by Pirates

An oil tanker without oil is an . . . alleged victim of piracy, as set out in "Pirates release ship, minus cargo":

A Thai-flagged oil tanker that was missing for two days after being hijacked by pirates near Singapore has been released with its cargo missing, the International Maritime Bureau said on Wednesday.

The IMB's Kuala Lumpur-based piracy centre said the vessel became uncontactable on Sunday after leaving Singapore four days earlier.

"The pirates stole its cargo and damaged the ship's communication equipment. All crew are safe," the centre said.

The ship, originally bound for Vietnam, will return to Singapore.

Strait of Malacca Piracy: "Nooks and Crannies" make it "the most dangerous waters"

A look at the increases in sea robberies off the main path of the Malacca Strait, suggesting "alternative," theoretically safer, routes at Piracy in the Malacca Straits: Pirates likely to bring a quick end to historic trade route":

The number of attacks in the straits as a whole had dropped but it is the rising figures in Indonesia that has made the straits more dangerous than the waters off Somalia. Of the 138 piracy incidents recorded worldwide in the first six months of this year, 48 were in Indonesia. While global piracy had dropped substantially, down from 439 cases in 2011, the figures in Indonesia, however, was increasing. Most attacks happen in the waters around the Riau province, particularly around the ports in Dumai and Belawan.

New areas are emerging. One of them is around the island of Batam and nearby Belakang Island, which is close to Singapore. Batam is a low-cost manufacturing enclave and the products are exported via Singapore. Poor Indonesians who head for Batam for jobs and local fishermen battling with poor fishing yields are the prime targets of pirate mafias. The local mafias organise criminal activities alongside bigger syndicates.

These are low-level thefts in enclaves and areas that are hidden from the main route. They are not high-sea robberies that can be easily detected and crippled. Years ago, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore launched a campaign that aimed at curtailing piracy in the 960km long Malacca Straits. It has been successful in that the number of high-sea robberies has dropped and that the international shipping lane is much safer. But not the nooks and crannies.

Sorry, sounds like a solution in search of a problem. If Indonesia cleans up it own waters, this "problem" mostly goes away.

"Pirate mafias" attacking local workers and fishermen is not a reason to re-route large commercial shipping.

Strait of Malacca Pirates: Impacting a salvage job in New Zealand

MV Rena aground but before breaking up

So, there's this ship, MV Rena, which managed to ground itself off New Zealand (see here) causing all sorts of issues and generally irritating nearly all who have become involved with her, due to an oil spill, her breaking apart and all that stuff, making her the cause of New Zealand's "worst ever maritime environmental disaster."

So, of course, it was decided that it would be a good idea to clear the remainder of the now former ship and a contract was let to do that.

However, perhaps in keeping with my newly formulated theory that the former MV Rena was a jinxed ship, more bad things have happened, this time at the hands of pirates of the Malacca Strait and as reported by the NZ Herald News, at Pirates latest blow to hit Rena salvage:

There have been ravaging storms, rotting cargo and equipment overboard - now marauding pirates are being blamed for hampering the salvage of the Rena.

It has been revealed pirates plundered $20,000 of equipment without being detected that had been on board the barge RNG280 as it set sail from Singapore to Tauranga.
***
Mr Leckey suspected the pirates had watched as specialised salvage equipment was being loaded onto the barge in Singapore about six weeks ago.

"We are still trying to figure that out. I was in the shipyard and we had packed them into containers so people must have seen us doing this."

The pirates are thought to have climbed on board the barge at night and broken into the containers as it sailed through the Strait of Malacca.
***

Among the booty were boxes of magnesium welding rods used for cutting steel, fuel pumps, and other equipment.

"I don't know what they are going to use it for, there are very [few] people who use it in the world," said Mr Leckey.

"What seemed pretty silly to us was that there was 3000 gallons of brand new paint sitting right beside the rods ... normally, if they were going to steal something, they would steal paint."

The theft meant the company lost $20,000 it would not be claiming insurance for - and left it to pay another $20,000 for new gear, plus $15,000 extra for it to be flown in from the United States.

Incidentally, the raid came at the same time the company lost expensive gas-cutting gear that fell into the sea along with a chunk of the Rena.

"It was an unlucky day all round."

Yes, it was of one several unlucky days involving MV Rena.

Piracy Updates from ONI Through 3 Nov 11

You can get both ONI reports on piracy at Office of Naval Intelligence.

Among the notable events reported is the hijacking of the tanker Liquid Velvet (see here), about which the ONI Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly Report states:

(U) GULF OF ADEN: Tanker (LIQUID VELVET) hijacked by six pirates on 31 October at 0842 UTC while underway in position 12:00N – 045:33E, approximately 55 nm southeast of Aden, Yemen. The crew (21 Filipinos and one Greek) were able to lock themselves in the citadel, but the pirates were able to breach it. (UKMTO, Operator)

Some sources, e.g. Shiptalk have reported speculation the odd man out was a Greek security guard. It is noteworthy that the "citadel" was breached. Not sure if this means the pirates were better prepared to breach the citadel on this visit, or if the citadel itself was not well designed or . . . your speculation is as good as mine.

Other recent activity reported:

I. (U) INDIAN OCEAN–EAST AFRICA:
1. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Petroleum tanker (DYNATANK) fired upon by pirates on 1 November at 0050 UTC while underway in position 08:10S – 046:06E, approximately 407 nm southeast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The onboard security team returned fire, and after 30 minutes the pirates aborted their attack. (UKMTO)
2. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Fishing vessel (TORRE GIULIA) attacked by pirates in two skiffs on 1 November at 0936 UTC while underway in position 01:21S – 052:21E, approximately 591 nm southeast of Kismaayo, Somalia. Vessel had protection detachment onboard. A mothership was detected in the vicinity. (Operator)
***
4. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Tuna fishing vessel attacked by pirates on 31 October at 1415 UTC while underway in position 02:23S – 049:29E, approximately 444 nm southeast of Kismaayo, Somalia. The vessel had a protection detachment onboard the vessel. (Operator)
5. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Petroleum tanker (SCF PLYMOUTH) fired upon by four to five pirates in one skiff on 30 October at 1254 UTC while underway in position 04:20S – 043:41E, approximately 245 nm southeast of Mombasa, Kenya. Vessel was traveling at a speed of 14.7 knots. Pirates fired six rounds towards the vessel; armed security in turn fired six rounds back at the skiff. RPG and guns spotted, no ladders seen. (UKMTO)
***
G. (U) WEST AFRICA:
1. (U) NIGERIA: Petroleum tanker (HALIFAX) hijacked by pirates on 29 October at 1219 UTC while in position 03:26.5N – 006:42.3E, approximately 62 nm southwest of Bonny. Vessel was awaiting further berthing instructions from its charterers. Vessel has a crew of 24 Filipinos and one Bulgarian. (IMB)
***
K. (U) SOUTHEAST ASIA:
1. (U) MALAYSIA: Tanker (NAUTICA JOHOR BAHRU) hijacked 27 October while underway in the Singapore Straits. The vessel had a cargo of oil and gas worth $4.5 million USD onboard. Malaysian Navy and Indonesian vessels intercepted the hijacked vessel, and the ten pirates fled in a speedboat. The pirates took everything of value. (Open Source)
2. (U) MALAYSIA: Barge hijacked 26 October while underway in Indonesian waters while carrying a cargo of $2.6 million USD worth of palm oil. Authorities located the barge before the pirates returned from a trip to get a tug boat to move it. (Open Source)

Using the future weather as a tool for piracy likelihood, ONI show two maps, the first being a large view of the Indian Ocean. As color increases to red, weather favorable for small boat piracy increases. And, as noted on this map, don't attempt to use this for navigation, it's an informational chart.

This is followed by a "close up" of key areas. I took the liberty of adding a red arrow and the test "Gulf of Aden" for those unable to spot this on their own.

All of which is to say, it's dangerous out there for the under-prepared.