IFC - Information Fusion Centre - MARSEC Weekly Report

- PIRACY/ROBBERY

Events reported last week

• 1 Piracy and 1 sea theft events reported last week (39 incidents since the start of the year compared to 18 at the same date in 2019);

• 1 of the 2 incidents was a piracy on a chemical tanker anchored (Off Pulau Bintan, Indonesia) - 1 was a sea theft on a bulk carrier anchored (Samarinda anchorage, Indonesia).

Dangerous areas identified:

• Singapore Strait: 21 incidents in 2017, 20 in 2018, 45 in 2019, 14 in 2020 (only 5 events in Singapore strait between January 1st and May 8th in 2019). This is the second highest number of events at this time of year in the last decade, after 2015.

• Sulu Sea: constant threat from the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf and other criminal groups that are targeting slow-moving targets with a low freeboard. 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;

• Following 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.

- MI

• 29/05: A bulk carrier collided with a bridge pillar at Ube port, Japan. Ship sustained damages and several crew were injured but the bridge reported to be undamaged and open for traffic;

• 01/05: A fishing vessel was struck by a cargo ship off LA Gi, Vietnam. Vessel sank and the six crew members jumped overboard and were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel. The cargo ship did not stop and sailed away after the collision;

• 04/05 : A group of seven fishermen from Pagadian City sailed for the Sulu Seas 10 days ago and came back on 05 May with one of them dead and two others missing when they encounter two small boats shooting at them off Pangutaran, Sulu, Philippines.  

- CONTRABAND

• 06/05: Hong Kong has seized 26 tons of smuggled shark fins sliced from some 38,500 endangered animals, discovered in two containers from Ecuador.

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