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IFC - Information Fusion Centre - MARSEC Weekly Report


1. Highlights : 

PIRACY/ROBBERY


  • Events reported last week

    • 3 events of sea theft reported last week (35 incidents since the start of the year compared to 17 at the same date in 2019);

    • 1 of 3 incidents were on ship underway (Singapore Strait) - 2 on ship anchored (Vung Tau Anchorage, Vietnam and Alang Anchorage, India).


Dangerous areas identified regarding Piracy 


  • Singapore Strait: 21 incidents in 2017, 20 in 2018, 45 in 2019, 13 in 2020;

  • Sulu Sea: constant threat from the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf and other criminal groups that are targeting slow-moving targets with a low freeboard. The last incident occurred on 16/01/2020 with a kidnapping at sea against five fishermen on a fishing vessel. Request of a 580 000 $ of ransom by ASG still in progress;

  • Some identified anchorage areas: 

    • Indonesia: Batam, Begawan, Belawan, Dumai, Panjang, Sandakan, Samarinda and Taboneo;

    • Philippines: Manille, Batangas, General Santos Harbour;

    • Bangladesh: Chittagong;

    • Vietnam: Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh;

    • India: Kakinada, Alang.

Singapore strait transit protection measures :


  • Take a previous contact before any transit in Singapore strait (sectors 7 to 9) with Singaporean authorities and timely reporting any suspicious activity : https://www.mpa.gov.sg/web/portal/home/port-of-singapore/operations/vessel-traffic-information-system-vtis/operational-areas ;

  • Increase vigilance in watch-keeping and deploy additional lookout ;

  • Be wary of suspicious small boats approaching. Take photo of the suspicious boat and send to me as soon as possible ;

  • Use CCTV cameras for coverage of vulnerable areas (if available) ;

  • Keep ship's whistle, search lights and fog horn ready for immediate use ;

  • Secure or lift external ladders to prevent their use and to restrict external access to the bridge ;

  • Deploy Self-Protection Measures (SPM) eg. Rig the water spray hoses and foam monitors in a fixed position. Evasive manoeuvres have also been proven to deter perpetrators in the areas of concern ;

  • Secure all doors and hatches providing access to the accommodation and machinery spaces ;

  • Rig safety precautionary measures on the anchor cable hawse pipe while anchored.



- IUU


  • 11 foreign fishermen onboard two Vietnamese fishing vessels were apprehended off Narathiwat Province (Thailand) by a Thai Marine Police Vessel, due to engaging in illegal fishing ;

  • Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries apprehended 2 Vietnamese Fishing Vessels when they were doing illegal fishing North Natuna Sea, Indonesia.


- CONTRABAND


  • Malaysia Marine police foiled an attempt to smuggle in 4,000kg of live crabs estimated worth around US$91,500 from Indonesia;

  • Hong Kong Customs said today they detected a sea-bound smuggling case, which include the biggest donkey skin seizure in Hong Kong (17 tons), but also dried shark fins mix-loaded with nonscheduled dried shark fins inside a container;

  • Hong Kong Customs seized about 16 tons of smuggled donkey skins from another container, which also arrived from Egypt.


- ILLEGAL MIGRATION

  • The official revised the death toll to 60 from 32, after the rescue of 396 refugees floating in a large boat in the country's territorial waters two weeks ago.

 
 
 

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