Maritime crime, including armed robbery and piracy, still pose a threat to seafarers in many “hotspots”, including the waters off west Africa and the South China Sea. The latest incidents reported to the ICC International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) worldwide 24-hour Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC), include the following.
- Four armed men in a speedboat approached and fired on a tug towing a barge around 12 nautical miles off Sabah Coast, Malaysia on 5 December, shooting the master in the leg. The alarm was raised, and a Royal Malaysian Police boat responded and took the injured master to hospital.
- Three robbers armed with guns and knives boarded a tanker anchored at Merak, Indonesia on 3 December, took two crew members hostage and tied them up. They stole engine spare parts and escaped.
- A masked robber was spotted on board a vehicle carrier anchored at Callao, Peru on 24 November. The alarm was raised, the ship’s whistle sounded and the crew mustered. Ship’s stores were reported stolen.
- Armed men boarded a fishing trawler around 13 nautical miles off Idenao, Cameroon on 23 November, kidnapped two crew members and escaped. The remaining crew sailed the vessel to a safe port.
- Eight robbers armed with guns and knives boarded a bulk carrier anchored at Conakry, Guinea on 21 November. They took the duty crew member hostage and held a knife to his throat, and took him and the second officer to the master’s cabin, where they hit the master and threatened to shoot the second officer. They stole ship’s money and personal belongings, and escaped in waiting boats.
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All attacks and suspicious sightings should be reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, tel: +603 2031 0014 (24 hours), email:imbkl@icc-ccs.org
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