Piracy News

In a few short months, the mayhem wrought by coronavirus has changed the world. Our response to the epidemic [more than the virus itself] has the potential to permanently alter the balance of the global economy. But it might be the kind of Black Swan event that we need to trigger real change in the shipping industry – and in particular its approach to digitalization of vessel operation.Like the worldview bubbles created by social media algorithms and fake news, the maritime industry is living in its own digitalization fantasyland - one fueled by vendor delusion and media misinformation.

The U.S.

Europe’s leading Naval defence company Naval Group has developed a range of sophisticated solutions to operate unmanned vehicles  and protect warships systems to enhance the defence of sovereign interests.The  French shipbuilding company has presented its solution to address compelling information  modern warfare trends at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition (UMEX) in Abu Dhabi.Set in the context of emerging threats including the use of mines, piracy and cyber-attacks, Naval Group…

Two ships in the Singapore Strait were attacked by pirates within the span of an hour in the wee hours of Sunday (Feb 9) mornings, aid the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Center in a media release.Some engine spares were stolen in one incident, while the perpetrators left empty handed in the other, it said.According to the release, at about 0220 hrs the bulk carrier New Spirit was boarded by six perpetrators while underway at about 5.1 nautical miles from Nongsa Point, Indonesia.

South Korea's military said on Tuesday it plans to expand the deployment of an anti-piracy unit now operating off the coast of Africa to the area around the Strait of Hormuz, after the United States pressed for help in guarding oil tankers.Attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran last year prompted U.S. officials to call for allies to join a planned maritime security mission.While South Korea, a key U.S. ally, will deploy its forces to the area, including the Gulf…

Despite overall piracy incidents declining in 2019, there was an alarming increase in crew kidnappings across the Gulf of Guinea.Number of crew kidnappings jumped from 78 in 2018 to 121 last year, according to the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) annual piracy report.This equates to over 90% of global kidnappings reported at sea with 64 crew members kidnapped across six separate incidents in the last quarter of 2019 alone. The region accounted for 64 incidents including all four vessel hijackings that occurred in 2019…

Three ships were attacked by pirates in Singapore Strait early in the morning, and late at night, on Dec 20, said South East Asia piracy watchdog ReCAAP ISC.Of the three ships that were boarded, two were bulk carriers and one was a tanker. Due to the proximity of the incidents, the same group of perpetrators responsible for the incidents on 20 December 2019 cannot be ruled out.With the three incidents that occurred on 20 December 2019, a total of 27 incidents have been reported in the Singapore Strait in 2019.

The Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) L’Adroit has adopted the Argentinian flag and becomes the A.R.A. BOUCHARD. The first one of the four OPVs ordered by Argentina has been designed and developed by Naval Group on its own resources. Handed over to the Argentinian Navy two months ahead of schedule and after only ten months of upgrade and modernization works. The three others OPVs will be delivered from April 2021 at the pace of one unit every six months.L’Adroit becomes the A.R.A BOUCHARDSince mid-February…

Pirates have released three crew taken hostage from a Greek oil tanker off the coast of the West African country of Togo in November, the vessel's manager said on Friday.A fourth hostage, a Filipino, died from illness during captivity, European Products Carriers Ltd added.It did not give details of the release.The tanker, Elka Aristotle, was attacked on Nov. 4 about 18 km (11 miles) from the port of Lome.

A total of eight incidents of armed robbery were reported against ships in Asia in November 2019, according to ReCAAP ISC monthly piracy report.ReCAAP said of the eight incidents reported in November 2019, five incidents, comprising four actual incidents and one attempted incident, occurred in the Singapore Strait.The total number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported during January-November 2019 has decreased by 4%, but the number of actual incidents…

Pirates have kidnapped 19 crew members from a crude oil tanker off Nigeria in an area where acts of piracy are on the rise, an official with the ship's operator said on Thursday.The loaded vessel, the Nave Constellation, was attacked 77 nautical miles off Bonny Island on Tuesday and 18 Indians and one Turk from the crew were seized, the official said.Seven other crew members remain on board the vessel. Neither the vessel nor the cargo were damaged, the official said.The shipping…

Pirates have abducted seven crew members from an anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel offshore Equatorial Guinea, the vessel's owner Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) said.The Singaporean-flagged Pacific Warden was attacked on November 20, 2019 at approximately 5 a.m. local time, while supporting offshore field operations in Equatorial Guinea, SPO confirmed on Sunday.Seven of the 15 crew members on board have been taken by the attackers and are presently missing, while the other eight are safely ashore and unharmed…

Pirates attacked an Italy-flagged offshore supply vessel in the southern Gulf of Mexico, injuring two crew members, the Mexican Navy said on Tuesday, in the latest outbreak of robbery and piracy to hit oil platforms and infrastructure in the area.One of the crew members of the vessel, Remas, received a bullet wound, and the other suffered a concussion, and both were transferred to a nearby hospital, the Navy said in a statement.Owned by Italian offshore contractor Micoperi, Remas…

Pirates have kidnapped nine crew members from a Norwegian shipping vessel named the MV Bonita off the coast of Benin in West Africa.MV Bonita was anchored and awaiting berth at the Cotonou port to discharge a shipment of gypsum when the pirates boarded, the shipping firm  J.J. Ugland said in a statement Sunday.The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association said that it is in close contact with Ugland Shipping with a common and clear goal to bring the 9 sailors back to safety. The vessel and remaining crew are safely anchored in Cotonou and investigations are carried out.

Pirates attacked a Greek oil tanker off the coast of Togo in the early hours of Monday and fled after taking four crew members as hostages, the West African nation's navy said, two days after a similar attack in the waters of neighbouring Benin.Of the missing crew members, two are Filipinos, one is Greek and one is Georgian, the navy said in a statement. One security guard was also shot and wounded in the attack, it said."Monday, 4th of November 2019, around 0300, the tanker boat Elka Aristotle was attacked around 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the port of Lome by armed individuals…

The White House is warning Chinese shipping companies against turning off their ships' transponders to hide Iranian oil shipments in violation of U.S. sanctions, two senior administration officials said."We've been messaging very heavily to the shipping companies, you don't want to do this, it's not worth it," said one official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "It's incredibly dangerous and irresponsible behavior."China is the largest remaining buyer of Iranian oil after U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Tehran's main export. Trump tightened U.S.

The Gulf of Guinea remains a high risk area  for piracy and armed robbery, according to the International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) report for the third quarter of 2019. The region accounts for 86% of crew taken hostage and nearly 82% of crew kidnappings globally, it said.In July a general cargo vessel was hijacked approximately 120nm SW from Brass. Ten crew members were kidnapped from the vessel and released four weeks later. In August a bulk carrier and a general cargo vessel were boarded within hours of each other at Douala anchorage…

The United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert 06-19 (USCG MSA 06-19) outlines a February 2019 incident aboard a deep draft commercial vessel that called on the Port of New York / New Jersey after experiencing a significant cyber incident that impacted their shipboard network. The Safety Alert stated in part:“An interagency team of cyber experts, led by the Coast Guard, responded and conducted an analysis of the vessel’s network and essential control systems. The team concluded that although the malware significantly degraded the functionality of the onboard computer system…

Ensuring that trade and travel by sea are as secure as possible is a key element of IMO's work and mandate.International Maritime Organization (IMO) took part in the Global Maritime Security Conference held in Nigeria (7-9 October) to look at maritime security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea as well as potential solutions to address maritime threats in the region.IMO's Assistant Secretary-General Lawrence Barchue, speaking on behalf of IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, highlighted…

About one-third of the oil tankers owned by COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) have shut off their ship-tracking transponders since the United States imposed sanctions on the company for allegedly shipping Iranian crude, shipping data showed.From Sept. 30 to Oct. 7, a total of 14 COSCO Dalian ships, six of which carry some oil, stopped sending location data from their automatic identification system (AIS), ship tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon showed. The U.S. imposed the sanctions on Sept.

Oceans X is a new web-based platform that allows a wide variety of users such as port agents, bunkers suppliers, port chandlers, port authorities, banks and others to track and monitor tankers and dry cargo vessels globally and in real-time. Oceans X’s vessel monitoring technology uses a combination of automatic identification system (AIS), artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive data analytics to add value for the user.For example, sing Ocean X’s Distance tool feature, which is available to all users for free…

An Iranian sailor held hostage by Somali pirates for more than four years has been released with the help of the United Nations and a humanitarian group, Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi thanked the Hostage Support Partnership group, U.N. officials in Somalia, and authorities in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland and in Ethiopia for their help in winning the release of Mohammad Sharif Panahandeh, the state news agency IRNA said.Three Iranians sailors are still being held…

BAE Systems has demonstrated for the first time how Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) can be fully integrated with operational Royal Navy warships to extend their reach beyond the horizon and reduce sailors’ exposure to danger.The unmanned Pacific 24 Rigid Inflatable Boat (P24 RIB) is integrated with the combat system of HMS Argyll, a Type 23 frigate, in a series of waterborne demonstrations in London’s Docklands at DSEI 2019, the international defence and security event.At 7.8 metres long…