Amahlo-Suritec‘s October 2017 Piracy Report @LydelleJ #piracy #maritime #security #marsec

October 2017 - Piracy Report

Analysis

• Nigeria, the Strait of Malacca and the Philippines currently have the highest concentration of incidents of piracy and robbery of vessels . Venezuela also recorded high incidents in 2017.

• 61 crew members and passengers of vessels were kidnapped on the coast of Nigeria during ten reported incidents from January to end of October 2017. Six crew members were kidnapped from the Container Vessel, Demeter in Nigeria in October 2017. Maritime kidnap risk off Nigeria is currently high and will remain so in the following months .

• The trial of the pirates involved in the MT Maximus hijacking in February 2016 began at the Federal High Court in Lagos on 10 October 2017 .

• Sixteen crew members were kidnapped during four incidents in the Sulu and Celebes Seas off Malaysia and the Philippines from beginning of 2017 to end of October 2017 . Five fishermen from the fishing vessel, FB Danvil 8 were kidnapped in October 2017 . The last successful kidnapping from a vessel was the kidnapping of two crew members from the tug, Super Shuttle Tugboat 1 in March 2017 . 57 crew members were abducted in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2016 . Kidnapping incidents are down from 2016 mainly as a result of continued military operations against Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu, Philippines and trilateral maritime patrols between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines . Crew should remain vigilant in this area.

• Although no hijackings were reported off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden in the last five months, crew should remain vigilant and implement Best Management Practices at all times. The risk of piracy will remain as long as the root causes for piracy exist in Somalia .

• Twelve incidents of robbery and attempted robbery on tankers and cargo vessels were reported at Puerto La Cruz anchorages in Venezuela from January to end of October 2017 . An attempted robbery on the LPG tanker, Nashwan was reported at Puerto Jose Anchorage, Venezuela in October 2017.

Full report is available to download here: