Pirate Control
Pirated MV Golden Blessing Released
On 6 November 2010, the Singapore-flagged MV Golden Blessing was confirmed released from under pirate control. The MV Golden Blessing, a Singapore-owned chemical tanker, deadweight 14,445 tonnes, was pirated on 28 June 2010 approximately 90 nautical miles (170 kilometres) off the Somali coast. The MV Golden Blessing has a crew of 19 Chinese.
MV Izumi Released by Pirates
The MV Izumi, which was pirated on 10 October 2010, was released from pirate control on 25 February. The Panama-flagged vessel and her Filipino crew of 20 are believed to be making for a safe port. There is no information on the condition of the vessel or the crew.
USS James E. Williams Helps Crew of Pirated Vessel
Crew members from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) provided care and assistance for approximately 12 hours to crew members and pirates aboard the North Korean cargo vessel Dai Hong Dan, after the crew regained control of the ship from the pirates. Subsequently, the crew requested no further assistance from James E. Williams. Dai Hong Dan's crew regained control of their vessel Oct. 30, after confronting the pirates who had taken over their ship Oct. 29
Golden Blessing Hijacked in the Gulf of Aden
In the early hours of 28 June, pirates took control of the MV Golden Blessing approximately 90 nautical miles off the northern Somali coast. On notification from the Master of the MV Golden Blessing that pirates were on board, the EU NAVFOR German warship Schleswig-Holstein immediately launched their helicopter and reported sighting suspected pirates on board the MV Golden Blessing. The MV Golden Blessing, a Singapore flagged tanker with deadweight of 14445 tonnes
MV Irene SL Released by Pirates
The Very Large Crude Carrier MV Irene SL was released from pirate control on 7 April 2011. The Greek flagged and owned vessel was pirated on the 9 February, approximately 350 nautical miles South East of Muscat in the North Arabian Sea. The vessel and her crew of 25 are believed to be making for a safe port. The crew members are from Greek, Georgia and Philippines. According to the owner all the crew members are safe and in good health.
MV Khaled Muhieddine Released by Pirates
On the morning of 26 May, the MV Khaled Muhieddine, which was pirated on 20 January 2011, was released from pirate control after 126 days. The crew of 22 Syrians and 3 Egyptians are all well.
Navy Seizes Suspected Pirate Ship
The Norfolk, Va.-based USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) seized a suspected pirate ship 87 km (54 nm) off the coast of Somalia. The Navy says the vessel stopped 54 miles off the coast of Somalia after the Churchill fired warning shots. U-S sailors boarded the ship and confiscated small arms. The ship (a dhow) is suspected of having fired on a merchant vessel passing off the coast of Somalia. There were 16 Indians and 10 Somalis aboard the dhow, along with various small arms
Navy Patrols Seas for Pirates
A U.S. Navy destroyer detained and boarded a suspected pirate ship in the Indian Ocean last month, aiming to see that terrorists do not lash up with pirates in the Asia-Pacific region. The destroyer, the USS Winston S. Churchill, was ordered to intercept the suspected pirate ship on Jan. 21 after the U.S. Central Command, from its forward headquarters in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, was contacted by the International Maritime Bureau, based in Malaysia
MarAd Issues Advisory on Piracy
The US Maritime Administration (MarAd) issued an advisory to operators of US-flag and effective US-controlled vessels warning of increased activity by pirates in waters off the east coast of Somalia. Pirates have recently launched armed attacks on merchant ships up to 190 nautical miles off Somalia. Mariners in the vicinity of Somalia are advised to maintain as much distance as reasonably possible off the coast and to be vigilant for approaches by pirate vessels. Source: HK Law
Pirate Horizons in the Gulf of Guinea
This article deals with the evolution of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. It was proclaimed in 2012 that the Somali pirate business model had been broken by a combination of coordinated naval patrols, heightened vessel security, and the ubiquitous presence of armed guards aboard valuable ships. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) attributed only 71 attacks to Somali pirates in the first 11 months of 2012, down from 237 the previous year
Somali Piracy Contact Group: UN Plenary Meeting
The United States will join partners from over 85 countries, international organizations, & the private sector at the United Nations in New York on 1st May, 2013. The Contact Group is a growing diplomatic effort that is taking action against criminal activity that threatens commerce and
Somali Pirates to Face Trial for American Murders
On June 3, 2013 the United States begins a capital murder trial against three alleged Somali pirates, accused of killing four Americans at sea. If convicted, the defendants could be sentenced to death. While more pirates are being convicted in courts around the world
Counter Piracy Commander Warns of Continuing Threat
The Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, has issued a renewed warning that Somali pirates are still determined to get out to sea and, if presented with an easy target, will attack. “I am very concerned that seafarers and nations will lower their guard and
AdvanFort President Addresses Ransom and Piracy
"The revelation this week that the owner of an Algerian cargo ship whose crew was held by Somali pirates paid them $2.6 million in ransom is yet another indication that the rewards these denizens reap for their illegal, life-threatening work remain a serious stumbling block to ending maritime
Somali Pirates Release Tankship After a Year
Chemical tanker 'MV Royal Grace' unexpectedly sailed out of pirate's anchorage, then assisted by EUNAVFOR warship. The pirates had held the vessel after attacking it over a year earlier, on 2 March 2012 in the Gulf of Oman. Early in the morning of 8, March 2013
Raising a Head of Steam Against Pirates
Garioni Naval S.p.A introduce a system to deter pirates boarding a cargo vessel by ejecting steam in selected zones around the hull. The system, illustrated in the accompanying image, uses saturated steam at 20-bar, conveyed in a pipe around the upper part of the ship's hull
Another Tankship Released by Somali Pirates
EU Naval Force Flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez assists 'MV Smyrni' after it sails out of the Somali pirate's holding anchorage. MV Smyrni, with a crew of 26, was carrying 135,000 tonnes of crude oil when she was hijacked on 11 May 2012
AdvanFort’s Adds Security Platform
AdvanFort added a new ocean platform, the SG Arizona, to complete its pre-deployed offshore support vessel (OSV) network in the piracy High Risk Area (HRA) in and around the Gulf of Aden. “Named after the last of this country’s 48 contiguous states
Sea Marshals Urges Ship Operators to Stay Vigilant
The threat to maritime trade from Somali pirates continues, and ship operators should stay vigilant and adhere to best management practices, according to private maritime security company Sea Marshals Ltd, which counsels against complacency at this time.
Yes, Oceanographers Can Help Predict Piracy Attacks
The US Naval Meteorology & Oceanography Command named a 2013 Computerworld Honors Laureate for its counter-piracy predictive modelling. The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NAVMETOCCOM) received the award for a modeling capability developed by Naval oceanographers at Stennis Space
Dryad Maritime Welcomes Japanese Plans
Dryad Maritime, a U.K. commercial maritime intelligence company, welcomed the Japanese government’s plans to submit a bill to the National Diet which will permit the carriage of armed guards on Japanese-flagged vessels but advise that a number of other precautions must also be taken.
New Piracy Hotspot: Gulf of Guinea Update
The Club has received the following update on Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea from its correspondents in the area. “In the Gulf of Guinea, we would remind you that the pirates' zone of action now spreads from the Cameroonian Peninsula up to the Ivory Coast
Combined Counter-Piracy Exercise Performed
EUCAP Nestor, EU Naval Force and the Seychelles Coast Guard carried out a joint counter-piracy exercise in the Seychelles on April 26. The exercise involved a mock interception of a suspected pirate skiff in Seychelles waters by the combined efforts of EU NAVFOR and the Seychelles Coast Guard
Piracy & Armed Robbery: Latest ICS Report
ICC International Crime Services (ICS) publish its report on world-wide pirate attacks on shipping thus far in the month of April 2013 The Piracy & Armed Robbery Report section below follows the definition of Piracy as laid down in Article 101 of the 1982 United Nations
Financial Aspects of Piracy Explained
Release of 'MV Leopard' crew hostages by Somali pirates, prompts Denmark researchers 'RiskIntelligence' to give general ransom & pirate 'investment' insights. Economic terminology such as “market” is used in the below to describe the criminal activities of hijacking and ransom.