Weekly Shipping Threat Report

GULF OF GUINEA

BOARDING -GHANA: On 16 April at 0105 UTC, seven individuals in a canoe came alongside an anchored supply vessel in the Takoradi Anchorage at 04:52N – 001 :41W. Two of the men managed to board the vessel and were subsequently discovered by the deck officer in the paint store. When the crew raised the alarm, the two robbers jumped overboard and fled in the canoe. Five buckets of paint were stolen during the boarding. The crew notified the local authorities, who dispatched two patrol boats to secure the area. (MDAT-GOG)

ATTACK – NIGERIA: On 18 April at 0850LT, armed men attacked a passenger boat while underway from Brass to Yenagoa in the Niger Delta. The attackers injured one passenger, but the other passengers and boat driver managed to escape. Authorities rescued the injured passenger approximately 45 minutes later and took him to a hospital in Yenagoa with two gunshot wounds. (Nigerian Pilot)

KIDNAPPING – BENIN: On 19 April, armed men in a speedboat approached and boarded the Portugal-flagged container ship TOMMI RITSCHER in Cotonou Anchorage at 06:16N – 002:32E. Eleven of the 19 crewmembers managed to secure themselves in the citadel; the armed men kidnapped the other eight crew members. On 20 April, Nigerian Special Forces conducted an unopposed boarding and freed the 11 crew members in the citadel. Reports indicate the TOMMI RITSCHER had Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, and Filipino crew members. (MDAT-GOG)

HORN OF AFRICA

NTR

SOUTHEAST ASIA

BOARDING -VIETNAM: On 20 April at 0145LT, four robbers in a wooden boat approached and boarded the anchored Bermuda-flagged tanker MASAGANA in Vung Tau Anchorage at 10:21 N – 107:02E. When the robbers were detected, the crew raised the alarm and sounded the ship’s whistle. The robbers then jumped overboard and escaped in their wooden boat. The crew subsequently searched the tanker and discovered the robbers had managed to steal 80 liters of deck red paint from the forward store. The crew reported the incident to Vung Tau Port Control.

ROBBERY – INDONESIA: On 16 April at 0800LT, the crew of the Belgium-flagged VLCC ARAFURA discovered padlocks to restricted spaces had been cut with a heavy cutter. At the time, the vessel was approximately 40 NM southwest of the Anambas Island at 02:29N – 105:50E en route from the port of Sungai Linggi, Malaysia to Qingdoa, China. The robbers sometime earlier had managed to board the tanker undetected and steal a breathing apparatus air compressor unit and various spare parts. The master subsequently notified ReCAAP and other regional authorities. The exact location of the robbery remains unknown. (ReCAAP)

BOARDING – INDONESIA: On 22 April at 2310LT, crewmembers on a bulk carrier detected two robbers armed with knives on their vessel. At the time the vessel was approximately 20 NM east southeast of Singapore at 01 :15N – 104:04E. The vessel was transiting in the eastbound lane of the traffic separation in the Singapore Strait at the time. The Captain altered course and began to return to Singapore and request assistance. The Singapore Coast Guard responded and carried out a search of the vessel, which determined the robbers had fled empty handed. (ReCAAP)

ROBBERY – INDONESIA: On 16 April at 0100LT, the crew of the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier PALAIS detected three robbers on the stern of the vessel. At the time, the vessel was approximately 3.2 NM north of Nongsa Point, Pulau Batam in the eastbound lane of the TSS in the Singapore Strait at 01 :14N – 104:06E. The master raised the alarm and a search of the vessel was conducted to locate the robbers. No robbers were found, but some engine spares were discovered stolen. The crew notified the Singaporean and Indonesian authorities. (ReCAAP)

CREDITS:
https://www.oni.navy.mil/
https://www.recaap.org/
https://gog-mdat.org/home