IFC - Information Fusion Centre - MARSEC Weekly Report

1. Highlights:

- PIRACY/ROBBERY/MARITIM TERRORISM

No robbery/piracy/MT event reported the last week;
Total events in 2020: 88 incidents since the beginning of the year in IFC area of responsibility (compared to 68 at the same date in 2019);
Areas of interest:
- Singapore Strait (and in vicinity): 21 incidents in 2017, 20 in 2018, 45 in 2019, 29 in 2020;
- Sulu Sea: No successful kidnapping of merchant vessels in this area since the attack on SUPER SHUTTLE TUG 1 in March 2017, but the latest maritime event was on a fishing vessel in January 2020. It is more likely that small craft, fishing vessels and local merchant vessels operating near the Sulu archipelago, from the southern area of the Sulu Sea off Sabah to Zamboanga, will be primarily targeted considering the current destabilization of ASG groups by the Philippine army. However, any transit of a vessel with low freeboard and / or low speed in this area is still dangerous, especially for ships like pleasure crafts or yachts, the risk remaining high according to the Philippines CG;
- Following anchorage areas:
  - Bangladesh: Chittagong;
  - India: Kakinada, Alang;
  - Indonesia: Anyer, Batam, Begawan, Belawan, Dumai, Merak, Muara Berau, Panjang, Sandakan, Samarinda, Taboneo and Tanjung Uban;
  - Philippines: Manila, Bauan/Batangas, General Santos Harbour ;
  - Vietnam: Campha, Ho Chi Minh, Vung Tau.

- IHM

06 Oct : About 400-600 Rohingyan illegal migrants left Cox's Bazaar Bangladesh for Sittwe, Myanmar. From there, they reportedly embarked on 3 boats heading to Ranong and Ko Taratao, Thailand before transferred to smaller boats to Langkawi, Malaysia. This journey is expected to take 1 - 3 months as syndicates will charge extra ransom pay at each stopping point and the monsoon condition may severely affect the boat journey. Our assessment and analysis identified the possibility of the Rohingya boats start reaching by the middle of November 2020 are high as the boats may stop at a few stopping points to allow the syndicate to demand more money from each of the migrants. The migrants then may be separated into smaller boats to avoid detection by the authority. Bad weather at Northern Malacca Strait may be used to their advantages as enforcement boats would find it difficult to operate at these times.

- IUU

Oct 06 to 13: Korean authorities expelled 1128 Chinese fishing vessels off Baegryong Island, ROK;
Oct 18: Two Vietnamese fishing vessels were detained by local authorities for illegally fishing in waters off Natuna Island, Indonesia.

- CONTRABAND

Oct 18: Sri Lankan Navy and Police managed to seize over 200kg of Kerala cannabis, during a special operation conducted in Oluthuduwai, Mannar;

- MARITIME INCIDENTS

Oct 06: A fire broke out onboard a container vessel on 06 Oct, when the ship was approaching Singapore enroute from Nansha. The fire was extinguished on 15 Oct and the vessel was allowed to at Singapore Container Terminal;
Oct 17: A bulk carrier dragged anchor and drifted aground at Ba Don town beach, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, Gulf of Tonkin;
Oct 19: Four passengers of a boat, marked Baby Nor, that reportedly disappeared while sailing from Sitangkai to Bongao in Tawi-Tawi Province on 19 Oct are missing;
Oct 19: Two fishermen are still missing and 37 crew were rescued by a Myanmar Navy ship after their fishing vessel capsized off Pa Lei Island on 19 Oct;
Oct 19: Four passengers of a boat, marked Baby Nor, that reportedly disappeared while sailing from Sitangkai to Bongao in Tawi-Tawi Province on 19 Oct are missing.

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