Armed robbers and pirates continue to pose a threat to seafarers in many waters and ports. West Africa has been a particular hotspot, but incidents also take place in other regions. The latest incidents reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) worldwide 24-hour Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) include the following.
- Armed men boarded a ship anchored around 15 nautical miles off Douala, Cameroon on 30 March, kidnapped four crew members and escaped. The remaining crew sailed the ship to Douala.
- Five robbers armed with knives boarded a tanker anchored at Jose Terminal, Venezuela on 28 March, tied up a watch keeper and broke into a store. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered. The robbers escaped with stolen ship’s stores.
- Two robbers boarded a tanker anchored at Lagos secure anchorage area, Nigeria on 24 March and were spotted stealing oil. The master reported the incident to a nearby navy patrol boat. The robbers escaped but the navy patrol boat intercepted and apprehended them.
- Three robbers armed with knives were spotted on board an oil tanker anchored at Jose Terminal, Venezuela on 21 March. They threatened the deck watch with a knife and stole his radio. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered; the robbers escaped in a waiting boat.
- Two speedboats with 16 armed men chased and fired on an offshore supply vessel around 30 nautical miles off Bonny Island, Nigeria on 28 February. The alarm was raised, the vessel increased speed and commenced evasive manoeuvres, and non-essential crew mustered in the citadel. The escorting security vessel intervened to repel the attack. The bridge was damaged by bullets but the crew were safe. The Nigerian Navy escorted the vessel to a safe port.
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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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