U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 5 May - 2 June 2021

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 28 April - 26 May 2021

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 17 March - 14 April 2021

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Sea Robbers Active in Singapore Strait

ReCAAP report here: (screenshots)

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 17 September 2019 - 23 October 2019 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 17 to 23 October 2019

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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.

Mixed Maritime Security News: Sea Robbers Off Singapore and China Irks the Philippines

A revival of an old sea robber locale off Singapore and Indonesia reported at Shiptalk: "New Smash and Grab Hotspot":

An Indonesian island just off Singapore has become the epicentre of a new epidemic of SE Asia piracy attacks.
Three vessels were attacked within the space of a week off the Indonesian island of Bintan, according to security consultants.

As can be seen on the nearby ICC IMB Live Piracy Map, the area around in the vicinity of Singapore has been busy all year. These are not ship hijackings, but rather mostly theft and armed robbery efforts (and most often the arms are knives). Because these attacks are located in the internal waters of one of the countries in the area they are not "high seas piracy" but rather the local crime of "sea piracy."

Meanwhile further up the South China Sea, the drumbeat of China irritating the neighborhood goes on, as well reported at USNI News: "New Chinese Outpost Riles The Philippines" by Carlo Muñoz:

A new Chinese military outpost located in the South China Sea is again inflaming tensions between Beijing and and its regional neighbors in the Pacific.

On Thursday, Manila released aerial surveillance photos of the small facility, located on the on the Johnson South Reef in the hotly-contested international waterway, according to recent reports.

Those photos are available here. They are a series of photos taken from March 2012 to March 2014 and appear to show the building of an island through use of dredged materials.

Republic of Philippines comment:

15 May 2014 - This series of photographs, which were released by the DFA and gathered from Philippine intelligence sources, shows in stages the extensive reclamation by China on Mabini Reef (Johnson South Reef). These actions are considered destabilizing and in violation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and international law. Mabini Reef is part of the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) which is part of Philippine territory.

Hijacked Tug Rescued Off Indonesia

Reported as Indonesia Rescues Hijacked Tug Boat :

Indonesian authorities have rescued a tug boat with nine crew believed to have been hijacked in the Straits of Singapore, a sea lane seeing a rise in attacks, an official said on Monday.

The boat was recovered on Saturday off Indonesia, said Noel Choong, head of the piracy reporting center of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

It had been towing a barge laden with heavy machinery and piling materials which an Indonesian aircraft and three warships found in the same area a day later, he added.

The tug and barge, heading from peninsular Malaysia to Borneo island, last made contact on December 27 off southern Malaysia near the Straits of Singapore before it was hijacked, Choong said.

Circle on map indicates area involved.

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.

ONI SOMALIA: Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly (PAWW) Report (Horn of Africa) for 17-22 December 2009

SOMALIA: Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly (PAWW) Report (Horn of Africa) for 17-22 December 2009 from ONI:

3. (U) Projected Risk of Attack
A. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Over the next 72 hours weather conditions are less conducive for small boat activity in the Gulf of Aden with winds at 5-20 knots and associated wave heights of 2-6 feet (UK Weather Online).
B. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: In the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Somalia, weather conditions are now less conducive to small boat operations. Forecasts indicate wind speeds of 10-20 knots with associated wave heights of 4-8 feet (UK Weather Online).
***
5. (U) Forecast for Week of 23-29 December 2009

(U) Weather conditions continue to worsen in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden as the winter monsoon season sets in. The winter monsoon season is expected to bring weather likely not suitable to small boat operations in the Horn of Africa (HOA) region. However, it is likely that a few groups will still get underway and try to hijack ships. Mariners are warned that though we do expect a decrease in overall pirate activity in the HOA region, the possibility of pirate attack is still great, and mariners should continue to maintain all counter-piracy measures when transiting the area. Somali pirates currently hold fewer vessels for ransom than they have shown the ability to hold. This week, ONI assesses the risk of pirate attacks is moderate in the Indian Ocean with increased risks in the areas noted in red on the map below. Please note pirates south of the equator in the Indian Ocean have demonstrated the ability to operate in the capability range of Medium. Prevailing currents are significant between latitudes 1 degree north and 5 degrees south and tend to flow in an easterly direction with speeds up to 3.5 kts. Therefore, increased risk of attack exists due east of the Somali coast out as far as 1000NM (Past 62E longitude-Greater than 500NM northeast of Port Victoria, Seychelles) between these latitudes. While there has been a decrease in overall activity in the Gulf of Aden, it remains a prime operating area for Somali pirates.
***
A. (U) Summary of the Week
(U) There are two incidents to report in this period. Both incidents occurred last week but came to light this week.

1. (U) Vessels Hijacked
1. Dhow (NAFEYA) hijacked on 16 December 09 at 1700 local time while underway near position 02:45S – 42:37E. Dhow has a crew of 13 Indians on board. Dhow is now underway likely conducting pirate mothership operations.

2. Dhow (LAXMI SAGAR) hijacked on 10 December 09 while underway near position 06:00N – 51:00E, approximately 115NM southeast of Garacad, Somalia. Vessel was controlled by armed men for approximately five days before being released. Reportedly no ransom was paid. Armed men stole crew belongings and money before disembarking the dhow (IMB, LM: AFRICA NEWS).

I have rearranged the order of the report for ease of reading.

Other ONI info from the ONI Weekly Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report (to 18 December 09):

      2.  NIGERIA:  IMB reports surge in violent attacks on vessels off Nigeria, 4 Dec 09.  The
ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported a number of violent attacks on vessels off
the Nigerian coast.  The attacks, the aim of which is usually to rob vessel and crew of money and
stores, are notable for the attackersí willingness to use violence against crew members. In all of
the most recent attacks reported to the IMBís Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) the heavily-armed
pirates, at the very least, threatened crewmembers with deadly weapons. The pirates are usually
armed with knives and automatic firearms.  On 24 November 2009 an oil tanker anchored off the
coast of Benin, by the Nigerian border, was boarded by eight or nine robbers, all armed with
guns and knives.  IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: "Whilst Somalia is, rightly,
getting a lot of media attention for its piracy problems, a worrying trend is emerging off the coast
of Nigeria. We have noted a higher level of violence in attacks off Nigeria than any other region
in the world."  In another incident, on 30 October 2009, a product tanker was attacked off Lagos
by six pirates armed with knives and guns.  IMB urges all ship masters, owners and managers,
and others involved in the shipping industry, to report piracy or armed robbery incidents to its
PRC. The PRC is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and is the only 24-hour manned centre able
to receive and process reports of attacks from around the world. This timely, first hand
information from ship masters enables IMB to identify high-risk areas to the governments
concerned and is the first essential step in the attack response chain. 
***
 H.  INDIAN OCEAN-EAST AFRICA:
.
     1.  GULF OF ADEN:  Tanker (NORDIC SPRITE) fired upon 7 Dec 09 at 0501 UTC while
underway in position 12:54N ñ 048:07E, approximately 120NM northwest of Bosasso, Somalia. 
Armed men aboard two skiffs fired upon the vessel with automatic weapons and RPGs. The
vessel used counter-piracy measures and was able to prevent boarding. No injuries were reported
(UKMTO, IMB, ONI, LM: Jakarta Post).
.
     2.  GULF OF ADEN:  Bulk carrier (RED SEA SPIRIT) reported suspicious approach 19 Nov
09 at 2200 local time while underway in position 13:37.9N ñ 047:41E.  A suspicious craft was
observed following the vessel until a distance of approximately 1.5 cables.  The vessel conducted
evasive maneuvers mustered the crew to the bridge.  The craft pointed a searchlight on the vessel
and fired a shot into the air, claiming to be the Yemeni Coast Guard.  The master contacted
coalition forces when the craft ordered the vessel to stop to conduct a search, for which the
master refused.  The men in the craft asked for information on the vessel and crew before
eventually leaving. Comment:  UKMTO assesses this was not a piracy incident, but indeed a
Yemeni Coast Guard craft, due to the bulk carrierís close proximity to Yemen territorial waters
(Operator, UKMTO, Reuters).
.
     3.  INDIAN OCEAN:  Dhow (LAXMI SAGAR) hijacked on 10 December 09 while
underway near position 06:00N ñ 51:00E, approximately 115NM southeast of Garacad, Somalia.
Vessel was controlled by armed men for approximately five days before being released.
Reportedly no ransom was paid. Armed men stole crew belongings and money before
disembarking the dhow (IMB, LM: AFRICA NEWS).
.
     4.  INDIAN OCEAN:  Bulk carrier (CORAL GLOBE) fired upon 7 Dec 09 at 1343 UTC
while underway in position 00:27N ñ 061:39E, approximately 977NM east of Mogadishu,
Somalia.  Armed men in two skiffs chased and fired on the vessel with automatic weapons and
RPGs. Vessel increased speed and was able to prevent multiple boarding attempts. Vessel deck
caught on fire but was quickly put out by the crew of the vessel. No injuries were reported.
(IMB, UKMTO, LL, ONI).
.
     5.  INDIAN OCEAN:  Fishing Vessel (SHAHBAIG) hijacked on 6 December 09 while
underway in position 11:52N ñ 62:36E, approximately 470NM southeast of Socotra Island.
Vessel reportedly has 29 crewmembers on board, all believed to be Pakistani. Vessel is
reportedly headed toward the Somali coastline (AP, UKMTO, EUNAVFOR, ONI).
***
K.  SOUTHEAST ASIA:
.
     1.  INDONESIA:  General cargo ship reported suspicious approach 11 Dec 09 at 0820 local
time while underway in position 05:15.9S ñ 123:25.1E, approximately 11NM east of Pulau
Buton.  Four men armed with a gun and spear in a speedboat chased the vessel.  The captain
conducted  counter-piracy measures and evaded the speedboat (IMB).
.
     2.  INDONESIA:  Tanker boarded 8 Dec 09 at 0325 local time while in position 06:13.62S ñ
108:28.29E, Balongan anchorage.  Four robbers boarded the vessel from the poop deck.  They
were spotted by the duty watchman who immediately informed the bridge duty officer.  The
alarm was raised and the crew mustered.  Upon seeing the crew alertness, the robbers escaped in
a waiting boat (IMB).
.
     3.  INDONESIA:  Bulk carrier reported suspicious approach 28 Nov 09 at 0900 local time
while underway east of the Ceram Islands.  Four persons in a white colored speedboat, flying the
Indonesian flag, approached the vessel.  The master raised the alarm and crew activated fire
hoses.  They noticed the men in the speedboat were waving a black cloth, but no contact was
made on VHF.  The master altered course several times to evade the approach.  The speedboat
made two attempts to get close and finally aborted the chase after approximately 25 minutes
(IMB).
***

Strait of Malacca: Piracy off Singapore

Several recent incidents near the Strait of Malacca, as in this report from ReCAAP on a boarding on 30 Aug 09:




Not as exciting as Somali pirates - except for those involved, I expect.

Straits of Singapore Pirates: Tug Attacks

Reported here:

Masked parang-wielding pirates robbed a Singapore-registered tug boat towing a granite-ladened barge in the Straits of Singapore Sunday morning.

'Weihai 5' was towing 'Jovan 1', the barge loaded with granite from Lumut, Perak enroute here, when five pirates boarded it northeast of Helen Mar Reef in the east bound lane of the Singapore Straits from their speed boat at 2.25am.

Four of them wearing masks and armed with parangs, snatched mobile phones, money and other valuables from the six Indonesian crew on board the tug boat, according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) here today.

And another attack report from ReCAAP:

On 12 July 2009 at about 0200 hrs (local time), a Singapore-registered tug boat, Kenryo towing barge Al Jabber 35 carrying a load of oil rig equipment was at position 01° 09.90' N, 103° 46.0' E (east of Raffles Lighthouse, Singapore Strait) when five robbers boarded the tug boat from a speed boat. The incident occurred when the tug boat was underway to Singapore from Batu Ampar, Indonesia. Four of the robbers worn masks and armed with parangs. The robbers took away mobile phones, money and other valuables from the crew of Kenryo. They also damaged the communication equipment onboard Kenryo before fleeing in the speed boat. The 12 crew who are Indonesians were not harmed.

Somali Pirates: Russia seizes 3 pirate vessels, 10 pirates

Reported here:

A Russian warship has captured three pirate vessels off Somalia, news agencies quoted the Russian navy as saying on Friday.

The nuclear-powered warship, Peter the Great, also detained 10 pirates on the boats, Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for the Russian navy as saying.

UPDATE:More here, including what I think is a mistranslation of pirate weaponry:

The pirates had been spotted by the cruiser's helicopter southeast of the Yemeni island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean, the spokesman told AFP.

"It was visually established how weapons were being dumped from the boats into the sea," Dygalo said in a separate statement.

He added that the navy managed to confiscate grenade launchers, automatic rifles, landmines and 500 grammes of a "narcotic substance," among other things.

As set out here, pirate activity has increased (with the release of ships more pirates are available and the weather has eased making it easier on the pirates), but of 6 attempted attacks, all failed:

Heavily armed Somali pirates attacked six ships, including British, Indian and Singapore-managed vessels, earlier this week but all managed to escape, a global maritime watchdog said Friday.

"In the past two days, pirates have been actively attacking vessels with intent to hijack," Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, said in a statement.

"It appears that favourable weather conditions in the area and the high number of hijacked vessel that have been released recently may have prompted the pirates to actively seek for new targets," he added.

But the ships -- managed by Indian, British, Greek, Singapore and Philippine companies and one unknown -- managed to escape from the pirates.

Choong said the strong presence of naval warships in strategic locations had prevented successful hijackings in recent weeks.

"The number of successful hijackings has been reduced due to naval activities," he told AFP.
***
Choong said since January 2009, there had been 22 attacks, with seven vessels and 123 seamen being held by Somali pirates.

A Japanese ship has been released by pirates, as set out here:

'The MT Chemstar Venus, sea-jacked on 15 Nov 2008 was released' late on Thursday, the non-governmental group Ecoterra International said.
The ship's crew of 18 Filipinos and five South Koreans are unharmed.

Ecoterra said the last pirates left the ship at 10.30pm (1930 GMT, 3.30am Singapore time) after a ransom was delivered to the vessel by a tug-boat.

The MT Chemstar Venus is owned and managed by the Japanese company Iino Marine and carries some 20,000 tonnes of oil products.

The latest release brings to at least 11 the number of foreign vessels still held by Somali pirates. A total of more than 170 seamen are held hostage.

Japan and Singapore naval vessels are expected to join the international naval forces operating in the Gulf of Aden. Turkey has authorization to send warships.

Meanwhile over in the Singapore Strait: Barges come under pirate atttack

Reported as Pirates target slow barges:

PIRATES struck early on Monday morning, robbing crew members of a Singapore-registered barge and an Indonesian-registered tugboat of cash and personal belongings.

This is the fourth time since early September that the robbers, all believed to be from the same gang, have struck near and around the Batu Berhenti beacon along the Strait of Singapore under cover of night.

At 1.30am on Monday, five marauders armed with parangs boarded the Maju Daya 3, which was sailing north-east of Batu Berhenti.

The tugboat was towing the sand-filled Marcopolo 188 barge to Batu Ampar in Batam.

The robbers took cash, mobile phones and watches worth $3,200 before escaping in a wooden boat equipped with an outboard motor.

The 10 crew members were not hurt and the ship master reported the incident to Singapore's Port Operations Control Centre.

Eng Lee Shipping, which owns the Marcopolo 188, declined to comment.

But the stealthy attack resembled three earlier incidents.

In the first incident, on Sept 8, five masked men armed with parangs and a long knife boarded the Kimtrans Echo, a Singapore-registered tugboat en route to Singapore from Vietnam.

They made off with $550 in cash, mobile phones, watches and walkie-talkies after tying up the six Indonesian crew members.

The next two cases occurred on Oct 4 and Oct 31, and involved a Malaysian-registered coaster, Sin Huat, and a Malaysian-registered tanker, Arowana Ranger, respectively.

Both were travelling from Singapore to Malaysia.

Mr Nicholas Teo, deputy director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, said tugboats and barges are 'slow- moving, making them easy targets, especially in the dark'.

Graphic from The Straits Times.

Asian Pirates: They're Baack...!

ReCAAP reports on a pirate attack near Singapore MV Sin Huat (pdf):

The Malaysian-registered ship, the MV Sin Huat was under way from Singapore to Sibu, Sarawak on 4 October 2008. At 0050 hrs on 4 October 2008, the ship was at 01° 12.5' N, 103° 54.5' E (approximately 2 nm east of Batu Berhanti buoy) in the east bound lane of the Straits of Singapore when three masked robbers armed with parangs (long knives) boarded the ship from a speed boat. Please refer to approximate location of ship below.

The robbers damaged the VHF handset, stole the ship master’s computer and cash, and the crew’s personal belongings before escaping. No crew was injured. The ship master reported the incident to the Singapore’s Port Operations Control Centre (POCC)...

Another incident:

The latest attack on a tug and barge off Pulau Tioman on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia saw a change in tactics with the pirates taking both craft to Thailand.
According to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, on Sept 7, the tug boat Whale 7 was towing Singapore-registered barge Sinobest 2503 from Singapore to Sattahip, Thailand, when three speed boats approached them around 8.30 pm about 12 nautical miles north of Pulau Tioman.
The 15 robbers boarded the tug boat and tied up all seven members of the crew and subsequently abandoned them on a remote beach on Pulau Tioman. The crew were unharmed and were later repatriated to Singapore.
The tug boat owner reported the hijacking incident to the Singapore Port Operation Control Centre (POCC) which is also the ReCAAP Focal Point for Singapore. This was transmitted to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) and all the other Focal Points in the network. The owner also reported the incident to the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre at Putra Jaya, Malaysia. According to the ship company's tracking system, the tug was heading in a northerly direction after the robbers had boarded the tug.
The Singapore Focal Point sent out broadcasts to all ships about the incident, classified as a Category 1 or very significant incident, and ships operating in the vicinity were asked to keep a lookout for the missing tug boat and barge. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency also provided updates of the incident to the ReCAAP ISC, saying that the hijacked boat might have been brought to Thailand.
The ReCAAP ISC alerted the Royal Thai Navy, which is the ReCAAP Focal Point for Thailand, to look out for the tug and barge.
On Sept 24, Thai Marine Police captured a tug boat named Saga 01 and a barge, Sinoveht 2503. They discovered that the Saga 01 had the same IMO number as Whale 7.
Thai Marine Police reported that five robbers were arrested about seven miles off Prajuabkirikahn Province, Thailand. The robbers revealed that they had been paid 1.2 million baht (S$51,000) to take the tug boat and barge to Ko Chang, Trad Province, Thailand.

General area of attack, "A" marks the more likely area.