Weekly Shipping Threat Report

15 June 2020

GULF OF GUINEA

NTRSUSPICIOUS APPROACH – NIGERIA: On 9 June at 2000LT, a speedboat approached the underway Liberia-flagged container ship RIO CHARLESTON from the port quarter at 03:14N – 004:43E, approximately 110 NM southwest of Brass. RIO CHARLESTON’s crew raised the alarm, increased speed, activated fire hoses, and conducted evasive maneuvers. The crew’s actions, along with a heavy sea state, likely caused the speedboat to depart the area. (Clearwater Dynamics, http://www.fleetmon.com, M DAT-GoG)

KIDNAPPING UPDATE – NIGERIA: On 8 June, six fishing boat crewmen, who had been kidnapped on 3 May 2020 from two fishing trawlers
(AM ERGER II and AMERGERVII) in separate locations off Libreville, Gabon, were released in southern Nigeria after 38 days in captivity. The freed hostage nationalities include one South Korean, two Senegalese, and three Indonesians. (Clearwater Dynamics, AFP, MAST Intelligence)

HIJACKING/KIDNAPPING COMBINATION – NIGERIA (LATE REPORTING): On 3 June at 1600LT, pirates hijacked a passenger boat transiting between Port Harcourt and Degema on the New Calabar River near 04:28N – 006:S?E. The armed pirates, arriving by speedboat, attacked the boat causing thirteen of the fifteen passengers to jump into the river. The pirates then hijacked the passenger boat, kidnapping two female passengers and an infant. (Clearwater Dynamics, wwwthenationonline.net, MAST Intelligence, Daily Post)