WORLDWIDE: Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 19 October - 18 November 2015

7/24/2019 WORLDWIDE: Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 19 October - 18 November 2015

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(U) WORLDWIDE: Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report19 October - 18 November 2015

19 November 2015

(U) Table of Contents

1. (U) Scope Note2. (U) Summary3. (U) Counter-Piracy and Maritime Crime Announcements and Advisories4. (U) Details: Monthly Incidents by Region

5. (U) Appendix A: Further Contact Information and Resources6. (U) Appendix B: Terminology and References

1. (U) Scope Note

(U) The Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) message provides info on piracy threats to, and criminal actionagainst, merchant vessels worldwide in the last 30 days. This report is produced primarily to inform merchantmariners and naval forces.

2. (U) Summary

A. (U) COLOMBIA: On 15 November, Colombian authorities announced that they had found 78 kilograms ofcocaine in two cylinders welded to the underwater section of the hull of HANSA AUGSBURG in Puerto Bolivar.

B. (U) NIGERIA: On 15 November, local press reporting indicated that pirates attacked two trawlers along BonnyAnchorage in Rivers State.

C. (U) NIGERIA: On 15 November, an unknown number of gunmen attacked the Polako community in Yenagoa,the Bayelsa State capital.

D. (U) VIETNAM: On 14 November, five Vietnamese fishing boats in the Gulf of Tonkin were reportedly attacked bya large number of Chinese vessels.

E. (U) VIETNAM: On 14 November, six robbers armed with long knives and iron bars boarded an anchoredcontainer ship in Vung Tau Anchorage.

F. (U) LITHUANIA: On 13 November, the Government of Lithuania announced that two Lithuanian and twoUkrainian sailors kidnapped off Nigeria from their ship, MT SOLARTE, last month have been released.

G. (U) LOUISIANA: On 13 November, one robber boarded the berthed offshore supply vessel SILENT LADYdocked along the Intracoastal Waterway in Larose.

H. (U) INDONESIA: On 12 November, two robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier via the hawse pipe inBelawan Outer Anchorage.


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I. (U) COLOMBIA: On 9 November, Colombian authorities announced that they had arrested a stowaway whosmuggled 63 kilograms of cocaine aboard the product tanker BW BOBCAT in the port of Barranquilla.

J. (U) INDONESIA: On 6 November, two robbers boarded an anchored container ship near position in BelawanAnchorage.

K. (U) INDONESIA: On 6 November, five robbers armed with knives boarded a berthed bulk carrier duringcargo operations at Berth 115, Jakarta Port.

3. (U) Counter-Piracy and Maritime Crime Announcements and Advisories

A. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Government of Japan convoy schedule for November and December 2015. To apply forJMSDF escort, visit http://www.mlit.go.jp/en/maritime/maritime_fr2_000000.html, please contact directly the Anti-Piracy Contact and Coordination Office, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism(MILT), Japan: Tel: +81-3-5253-8932; Fax: +81-3-5253-1643. Email: [email protected]. (MSCHOA)

B. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Korean Navy convoy schedule for November and December 2015. All merchant vesselswishing to join the convoy group must submit their application forms directly to the ROK naval warship carrying outthe mission. The ROK MTG can be reached directly at INMARSAT:

00-870-773-110-439; Email:[email protected]. (MSCHOA)

C. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Chinese Navy convoy schedule for November and December 2015. For furtherinformation, please e-mail [email protected], or call Tel: 86 10 652 92218/96; Fax: 86 10 652 92245.(MSCHOA)

D. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Indian Navy convoy escort schedule for November and December 2015. To register, [email protected]; or visit www.dgshipping.com. Telephone numbers for contact are: 91-22-22614646 orfax at 91-22-22613636. (MSCHOA)

E. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Russian Navy convoy escort schedule for November and December 2015. For furtherinformation e-mail [email protected]; [email protected]; or fax +7 (499) 642-83-29. (MSCHOA).

4. (U) Details: Monthly Incidents by Region

(U) This section lists reports of active violence against shipping, credible threats to shipping, or the potential for asituation to develop into a direct threat to shipping over the last 30 days. Every effort is made to ensure thatincidents are not double-counted. In the event double-counting is detected, or an incident is later learned to bedifferent than initially reported, an explanation of the cancellation of the inaccurate report will be made in at leastone message prior to dropping the erroneous report.


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A. (U) NORTH AMERICA:

1. (U) LOUISIANA: On 13 November, one robber boarded the berthed offshore supply vessel SILENT LADYlocated along the Intracoastal Waterway in Larose, found a shotgun onboard, and held authorities at bay for twohours. Local authorities arrived on the scene and eventually arrested the gunman. (www.houmatoday.com)

B. (U) CENTRAL AMERICA-CARIBBEAN-SOUTH AMERICA:

Figure 1. North America Piracy andMaritime Crime

Figure 2. Central America - Caribbean -South America Piracy and Maritime Crime


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1. (U) COLOMBIA: On 15 November, Colombian authorities announced that they had found 78 kilograms ofcocaine in two cylinders welded to the underwater section of the hull of HANSA AUGSBURG in Puerto Bolivar. Thecontraband was removed and the ship and crew were allowed to proceed on their voyage. (www.fleetmon.com)

2. (U) COLOMBIA: On 9 November, Colombian authorities announced that they had arrested a stowaway whosmuggled 63 kilograms of cocaine aboard the product tanker BW BOBCAT in the port of Barranquilla.(www.fleetmon.com)

3. (U) TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: On 3 November, four robbers boarded an anchored commercial tug, MS. ANNE,in the western end of Chaguaramas Bay. The robbers demanded cash, jewelry, and cell phones. When they wererefused, the pirates took the captain into another room where they beat him in order to get what they wanted, whichthey eventually got. They got approximately US$5,000, cell phones, and jewelry. They then tied up all six crew-members and left. The crew managed to free themselves and contacted the Coast Guard. The captain was takento the hospital where his injuries were treated and he was released. The Coast Guard and local police have begunan investigation. (www.caribbeannewsnow.com)

4. (U) COLOMBIA: On 20 October, a duty watchman on board an anchored product tanker noticed two robbers onthe forecastle near position 10:19 N - 075:31 W, Mamonal Anchorage. Bridge crew raised alarm and directed thesearch light toward the forecastle area and sounded forward fog horn. Upon hearing alarm, the robbers escaped.Nothing reported stolen. (IMB)

C. (U) ATLANTIC OCEAN AREA:No current incidents to report.

D. (U) NORTHERN EUROPE -BALTIC:No current incidents to report.

E. (U) MEDITERRANEAN -BLACK SEA:

1. (U) EGYPT: On 7 November, two robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored container ship near position31:12 N - 029:44 E, 9.4 nm west of Alexandria. Duty crew on routine rounds noticed the robbers on the quarterdeck. Before he could report the boarding the robbers attacked him and hit him on his neck, causing him to blackout. After coming to the duty crew reported the incident and a search was carried out. Nothing reported stolen.Incident report to port control and local agent. (IMB)

F. (U) WEST AFRICA:

Figure 3. West Africa Piracy and MaritimeCrime


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1. (U) NIGERIA: On 15 November, local press reporting indicated that pirates attacked two trawlers along BonnyAnchorage in Rivers State. A spokesman said the recent attacks left two crew members dead, three abducted andtwo seriously injured and are currently in the hospital. (All Africa Global Media)

2. (U) NIGERIA: On 15 November, an unknown number of gunmen attacked the Polako community in Yenagoa,the Bayelsa State capital, killing one man and kidnapping Pereama Freetown, an Ijaw musician. They escapedthrough the Polako River to an unknown destination. (All Africa Global Media)

3. (U) LIBERIA: On 24 October, an unknown number of robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier near position06:20 N - 010:51 W, Monrovia Anchorage. The robbers were able to board unn oticed and steal ships propertiesand escape. The theft was noticed when the crew noticed the padlock to the safety locker broken. Incident reportedto local agents. (IMB)

4. (U) CAMEROON: On 25 October, a large canoe made a suspicious approach against an oil platform nearposition 04:19 N - 008:28 E, approximately 11 nm offshore from the Bakassi area. A security vessel responded andthe canoe turned around and headed into Nigerian territorial waters, only to return a short while later with anadditional speedboat. Persons in both boats reportedly fired at the security vessel, which returned fire, and bothboats retreated back into Nigerian territorial waters. (MITSC-GOG)

5. (U) NIGERIA: On 23 October, a community leader in Ogbia Town, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State,

Chief Geoffrey Agorodo, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen. The gunmen were reportedly dressed in armyuniforms when they struck at Ogbia waterfront and seized the man. They were said to have taken Agorodo to awaiting speedboat and escaped after shooting sporadically to scare people away. (www.news7.ng)

6. (U) NIGERIA: On 20 October, Nigerian Navy units impounded 5 ships and arrested 19 persons involved inillegally transferring 108,000 liters of stolen fuel into five barges in a private jetty near a busy market area of PortHarcourt. (www.leadership.ng)

7. (U) NIGERIA: On 19 October, gunmen boarded Comoros Islands-flagged refrigerated cargo ship SOLARTE nearposition 03:58 N - 005:25 E, 36 nm southwest of Bayelsa Coast and kidnapped four crewmen, two Lithuanians andtwo Ukrainians. During the boarding, the pirates damaged some of the ships equipment. UPDATE: On 13November, the Government of Lithuania announced that two Lithuanian and two Ukrainian sailors kidnapped offNigeria from their ship, MT SOLARTE, last month have been released. The ships Russian company reportedly

paid the ransom. In a statement, the government said the sailors were taken to a local Nigerian hospital and werein good condition. (AFP World Service; IMB; AFP; www.news.odin.tc)

G. (U) ARABIAN GULF:No current incidents to report.

H. (U) INDIAN OCEAN -EAST AFRICA:No current incidents to report.


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I. (U) EAST ASIA -SOUTHEAST ASIA - INDIAN SUBCONTINENT:

Figure 4. East Asia - Southeast Asia - IndianSubcontinent Piracy and Maritime Crime

Figure 5. East Asia - Southeast Asia - IndianSubcontinent Piracy and Maritime Crime


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1. (U) VIETNAM: On 14 November, five Vietnamese fishing boats in the Gulf of Tonkin were reportedly attacked bya large number of Chinese vessels. The vessels attacked the fishing boats for seven hours, methodically destroyingdozens of fishing nets from the group. (www.thanhniennews.com)

2. (U) VIETNAM: On 14 November, six robbers armed with long knives and iron bars boarded an anchoredcontainer ship near position 10:14 N - 107:02 E, Vung Tau Anchorage. Duty deck watchman noticed the robbersand informed the duty officer who raised the alarm and mustered the crew. Hearing the alarm and seeing thecrews alertness, the robbers jumped overboard and escaped in a wooden boat. A search was carried out andfound the lock to the paint locker damaged and ships stores were reported stolen. Port control informed. (IMB)

3. (U) INDONESIA: On 12 November, two robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier via the hawse pipe nearposition 03:56 N - 098:45 E, Belawan Outer Anchorage. Alarm raised and crew mustered. Seeing the crewsalertness, the robbers escaped with stolen ships properties. (IMB)

4. (U) INDONESIA: On 6 November, two robbers boarded an anchored container ship near position 03:56 N -098:49 E, Belawan Anchorage. Duty crew on routine rounds noticed the robbers and raised the alarm. Uponhearing alarm, the robbers escaped. Nothing reported stolen. (IMB)

5. (U) INDONESIA: On 6 November, five robbers armed with knives boarded a berthed bulk carrier duringcargo operations near position 06:04 S - 106:51 E, Berth 115, Jakarta Port. They were noticed by thecrew who raised the alarm. Seeing the alerted crew the robbers escaped with stolen ships properties.

(IMB)

6. (U) VIETNAM: On 10 November, an unknown number of robbers boarded an anchored container ship nearposition 10:15 N - 107:03 E, Mui Vung Tau anchorage. The theft was noticed when the crew observed the padlockto the steering gear room broken. A thorough search was carried out and found nothing stolen. (IMB)

7. (U) INDONESIA: On 3 November, three robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier via the anchor chain nearposition 03:42 S - 114:26 E, Taboneo Anchorage. The alarm was raised and crew was mustered. Seeing the crewsalertness, the robbers escaped empty-handed. (IMB)

8. (U) INDIA: On 31 October, an unknown number of robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier near position 22:46N - 070:02 E, Kandla Anchorage. Duty crewmen on routine rounds noticed the broken padlocks to the bosun storeroom and ships stores were stolen. Incident report to port control. (IMB)

9. (U) INDIA: On 29 October, an unknown number of robbers boarded an anchored tanker via the anchor chainnear position 22:40 N - 069:56 E, Reliance Crude Anchorage. The robbers stole ships properties from theforecastle store room and escaped. The theft was noticed by duty crew on routine rounds. (IMB)

10. (U) BANGLADESH: On 27 October, pirates looted at least 12 fishing trawlers in the Feyar Boya area. At leastfour fishermen received bullet injures as the pirates opened fire on them and later the injured jumped into thebay. The pirates also abducted 40 fishermen, in addition to stealing a large amount of fish, two fishing boats andseveral boat engines. (www.daily-sun.com)

11. (U) BANGLADESH: On 26 October, pirates abducted at least 50 fishermen from the Bay of Bengal, attacking afleet of more than a hundred fishing boats. They captured 25 of the fishing boats. Eleven fishermen fromPatharghata of Barguna district were injured as approximately 30 armed pirates attacked them at Fairway Point, 43

nm southwest of Patharghata. The pirates also took fish and navigation equipment. (www.dhakatribune.com)

12. (U) INDONESIA: During the week of 26 October, a Germany-flagged sailing yacht, FARAWAY, was reportedlyhijacked in the Lombok Strait near Bali Island. Two German citizens were onboard; no ransom demand has beenmade. (www.newsmaritime.com)

13. (U) MALAYSIA: On 24 October, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two vesselsover the alleged illegal transfer of fuel off Pengerang, Malaysia. The MMEA arrested Singapore-registeredCHELSEA II and China-registered LU RONG YUAN YU 978. At the time of the arrest, CHELSEA II was transferringabout 45,500 tons of marine gas oil to LU RONG YUAN YU 978. (www.ihsmaritime360.com)


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14. (U) INDONESIA: On 22 October, three robbers armed with long knives boarded an underway bulk carrier nearposition 01:06 N - 103:32 E, 7.5 nm east-northeast of Pulau Karimun Besar. Duty oiler sighted the robbers in theengine rooms storeroom and immediately informed the bridge. The ships master raised the alarm followed by aships loudspeaker announcement. Upon hearing the alarm and seeing the alerted crew, the robbers escaped withstolen ships stores. An Indonesian naval vesselapproached the bulk carrier to render assistance. Upon arrival inSingapore, a Coast Guard crew boarded for investigation. (IMB)

15. (U) VIETNAM: On 22 October, a duty crewman on anti-piracy and robbery watch onboard an anchored bulkcarrier noticed six robbers climbing onto the forecastle using a rope attached to a hook, near position 20:41 N -107:13 E, Cai Lan Anchorage. He notified the duty officer who raised the alarm and mustered the crew.Seeing the alerted crew, the robbers escaped. A search was carried out and nothing found stolen. Port authorityand local agent informed. (IMB)

J. (U) NORTH - EAST ASIA:No current incidents to report.

K. (U) PACIFIC OCEAN - SOUTHERN OCEAN:

1. (U) PAPUA NEW GUINEA: On 18 October, two robbers boarded an anchored sailing yacht near position04:11 N - 144:53 E, Hansa Bay in Madang Province. The robbers attacked the boat owner with machetes. Bothrobbers were eventually thrown overboard and they escaped without stealing anything. The boat owner required 16

stitches to close his wounds. (www.noonsite.com)

5. (U) Appendix A: Further Contact Information and Resources

(U) This appendix provides contact information for the author of the WTS as well as other entities that can becontacted with maritime crime reports. It also lists other resources where the WTS is posted and where piracy andmaritime crime incident information can be found.

(U) Contact

(U) Originator of this WTS report requests consumer feedback. Originator will incorporate all anti-shipping eventsand violence against the maritime industry into this weekly message where appropriate. To aid in our reporting,please add the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) to your normal corporate and organizational reporting

requirements. The 24-hour watch can be reached at +1 (301) 669-4053.

(U) Other Resources

(U) This Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report is posted at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agencys MaritimeSafety site: http://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) also publishes a livepiracy report based on reporting from the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, listing all piracyand armed robbery incidents in the last ten days: http://www.icc-ccs.org/. The PAWW and WTS Reports are postedweekly on the ONI Intel Portal: http://www.oni.navy.mil/Intelligence_Community/piracy.htm.

6. (U) Appendix B: Terminology and References

(U) This appendix is provided to promote consistent use of accurate terms of reference in reporting and also

identifies those references that were used to gather the information contained in this report. ONI welcomescomment and suggestions for addition or amendment.

(U) Terminology

(U) In order to promote consistent use of accurate terms of reference, the following have been adopted to describethe range of criminal anti-shipping activity and impediments to safe navigation in our worldwide reporting andanalysis. Please note that these terms relate to observable activity and are independent of target vessel status andexclude actions by governmental powers in lawful pursuit of their authorities:


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(U) Attempted BoardingClose approach or hull-to-hull contact with report that boarding paraphernalia wereemployed or visible in the approaching boat.

(U) BlockingHampering safe navigation, docking, or undocking of a vessel as a means of protest.

(U) BoardingUnauthorized boarding of a vessel by persons not part of its complement without successfully

taking control of the vessel.

(U) Firing UponWeapons discharged at or toward a vessel.

(U) HijackingUnauthorized seizure and retention of a vessel by persons not part of its complement.

(U) KidnappingUnauthorized forcible removal of persons belonging to the vessel from it.

(U) RobberyTheft from a vessel or from persons aboard the vessel.

(U) Suspicious ApproachAll other unexplained close proximity of an unknown vessel.

(U) Sourcing

(U) ONI derives information in this report from direct reporting and analysis of reports from the following agenciesand commercial sources.

Agence France Presse (AFP) Associated Press (AP)

Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), Denmark BBC News EU Naval Forces (EU) Fairplay (FP), London

Informa Group (INFO), formerly LLP, Llp Limited, London International Maritime Bureau (IMB), London and Kuala Lumpur

International Maritime Organization (IMO), London gCaptain Latitude38.com (LAT) website Lloyd's List (LL), daily, London Local Media (LM)

LSS-SAPU.com (LSS) Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S. The Maritime Executive (website) Maritime Security Centre - Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) Maritime Security Council (MSC), U.S.

Maritime Trade Information Sharing Centre - Gulf of Guinea (MTISC-GoG) National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Navigation Safety System

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Brussels

Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) (analysis and comment) Operator (owner or operator of affected vessel) Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)

Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, Information Sharing Center (ReCAAP ISC) Reuters

Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP), Kenya


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Tradewinds (TW)

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) United Press International (UPI)

U.S. Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO) Bahrain U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

(U) ICOD:18 November 2015

Documents

WORLDWIDE: Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 19 October - 18 November 2015