Indonesian Marine Police News

At about 2.53am on 19 April 2018, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that five persons had gone overboard from a boat, about 0.7 nautical mile northeast of Pedra Branca, the coordinates being Latitude 01˚ 20.5’N and Longitude 104˚ 24.5’E, within Singapore territorial waters. Personnel and assets from the Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) were immediately deployed for search and rescue (SAR) operations. In addition, MPA has issued navigational broadcasts for ships to look for the missing person. Of the five, four were rescued by the PCG and the RSN. One person is still unaccounted for. The four who were rescued are Indonesians.

Global maritime piracy activity fell to its lowest level in over two decades, according to the latest International Maritime Bureau (IMB) report. The 180 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported to the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) IMB in 2017 was the lowest annual number since 1995, when 188 incidents were reported. According to the IMB, pirates boarded 136 vessels in 2017, while 22 attacks were attempted, 16 vessels fired upon and six vessels hijacked.

Piracy and armed robbery on the world’s seas is persisting at levels close to those in 2014, despite reductions in the number of ships hijacked and crew captured, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) annual piracy report reveals. IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC) recorded 246 incidents in 2015, one more than in 2014. The number of vessels boarded rose 11 percent to 203, one ship was fired at, and a further 27 attacks were thwarted. Armed with guns or knives, pirates killed one seafarer and injured at least 14.

One coastal tanker is hijacked every two weeks on average in Southeast Asia making it the most dangerous seas, the latest piracy report from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has warned. The IMB says more than half of all sea pirate attacks since the beginning of 2015 have been in Southeast Asia. A report in the Voice of America quoted Pottengal Mukundan, director of the IMB saying that armed pirates attack small oil ships in the area about every two weeks. It was a disturbing trend because if firm action is not taken then we expect that the violence will increase and the pirates will get a little more audacious in the kind of targets that they will look for, he said.

Attacks against small tankers off South East Asia’s coasts caused a rise in global ship hijackings, up to 21 in 2014 from 12 in 2013, despite piracy at sea falling to its lowest level in eight years, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed. Pirates took 442 crewmembers hostage, compared with 304 in 2013. IMB’s annual piracy report shows 245 incidents were recorded worldwide in 2014 – a 44% drop since Somali piracy peaked in 2011. Somali pirates were responsible for 11 attacks, all of which were thwarted. However, IMB warns shipmasters to follow the industry’s Best Management Practices, as the threat of Somali piracy has not been eliminated. Worldwide, 21 vessels were hijacked last year, 183 were boarded, and 13 fired upon.

While the issue of maritime piracy has largely fallen from the public eye, with the rapid evolution of the 24/7/365 news cycle and a never-ending list of new and globally interesting headlines, such as Ebola, there remains concerns of piracy’s effects on the broader maritime market, particularly in SE Asia. According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest piracy report, maritime pirate attacks globally are down for three years running, but there is a worrisome trend of small tanker hijacks by armed gangs escalating in Southeast Asia.

The Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) raises concerns over a worrying trend of small tanker hijacks in its 2014 half yearly report. Globally, 116 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships have been reported to the PRC in the first six months of 2014, down on the 138 incidents for the corresponding period for 2013. In 2014, 10 vessels were hijacked, seven fired upon, 78 boarded and 21 vessels reported attempted attacks against their vessels. Two hundred crewmembers were taken hostage, five kidnapped from their vessels and there were two fatalities according to the report.

Indonesian authorities are seeking to tackle the growing trend of pirates targeting tankers in South Asian waters for hijacking and cargo thefts. This includes the planned establishment by the Indonesian Marine Police of designated safe anchorages within some ports, which will be monitored and patrolled regularly. Further details will be provided as available.

Piracy at sea has reached its lowest levels in six years, with 264 attacks recorded worldwide in 2013, a 40% drop since Somali piracy peaked in 2011, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said. Just 15 incidents were reported off Somalia in 2013, down from 75 in 2012, and 237 in 2011. IMB’s annual global piracy report shows more than 300 people were taken hostage at sea last year and 21 were injured, nearly all with guns or knives. A total of 12 vessels were hijacked, 202 were boarded, 22 were fired upon and a further 28 reported attempted attacks.

The MT Penrider, owned by Malaysian interests, laden with 1,000 mt of fuel oil was en route from Singapore to Penang when it was attacked off Port Klang by armed pirates at about 13.30 hrs. on Sunday, 10 August 2003. The pirates armed with automatic weapons took control of the vessel. The Malaysian Rescue and Coordination Centre in Klang was alerted to the incident and a Marine Police patrol boat was sent to the scene. Negotiations took place between the vessel's owners and the pirates and eventually the vessel was released and allowed to proceed to Penang. However, the vessel's master, chief engineer and assistant engineer were taken hostage by the pirates and remain so pending payment of the ransom demanded by the pirates.

Pirate attacks worldwide surged 40 percent in 1999 as economic and political troubles in Indonesia spurred a dramatic increase in incidents in Southeast Asia. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in its annual report that the number of actual and attempted pirate raids increased to 285 last year from 202 in 1998. However, the number of seafarers killed fell to three last year from 78 in 1998. "This could be due to greater efforts by governments to combat piracy," the report said, citing the recent sentencing to death of 13 pirates in China. Indonesia accounted for 113 of the attacks, almost double its 1998 total of 60. "We believe it was due to the economic situation and political instability…