Maritime OPINTEL Report (U) WORLDWIDE: Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report 29 Jan 2012 – 29 Feb 2012 1 March 2012 Maritime Crime/Piracy . . (U) Table of Contents . 1. (U) Scope Note 2. (U) Summary 3. (U) Counter-Piracy and Maritime Crime Announcements and Advisories 4. (U) Details: Monthly Incidents by Region 5. (U) Appendix A: Further Contact Information and Resources 6. (U) Appendix B: Terminology and References . 1. (U) Scope Note . (U) The Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) message provides information on threats to, and criminal action against, merchant vessels worldwide in the last 30 days. This report is produced primarily to inform merchant mariners and naval forces. . 2. (U) Summary . (U) This section contains summaries of worldwide maritime crime developments and incidents that occurred over the past week. Details on each development and incident are contained in sections 3 and 4, respectively. . A. (U) BANGLADESH: Container ship boarded on 29 February while anchored 12 nm west of Kutubdia Island. . B. (U) NIGERIA: Refrigerated cargo ship boarded on 28 February while anchored 3 nm from Fairway Buoy Port Harcourt. . C. (U) IVORY COAST: Offshore supply ship boarded on 26 February while anchored at Abidjan Inner Anchorage 9. . D. (U) INDONESIA: Chemical tanker boarded on 23 February while under pilotage at Kuala Tanjung Anchorage. . . 3. (U) Counter-Piracy and Maritime Crime Announcements and Advisories . A. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Government of Japan convoy schedule for March 2012. Merchant vessels that wish to apply for JMSDF escort operation should visit http://www.mlit.go.jp/en/maritime/maritime_fr2_000000.html and follow the application procedure. For further information, 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: INFO- PIRACY@mlit.go.jp (MSCHOA). . B. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Korean Navy convoy schedule for March 2012. All merchant vessels wishing to join the convoy group must submit their application forms directly to the ROK naval warship carrying out the mission. The ROK MTG can be reached directly at (INMARSAT: 870- 783-110-375), (Email: cheonghae9th@gmail.com) (MSCHOA). . C. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Chinese convoy schedule for March 2012. For further information, please e-mail cnmrcc@msa.gov.cn, cnmrcc@mot.gov.cn, or call Tel: 86-10-652-92221 Fax: 86- 10-652-92245 (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 a situation to develop into a direct threat to shipping over the last 30 days. Designation of a high-threat area is based on an assessment of all source information relating to the existence of, or potential for, piracy and other crime, terrorism, civil unrest, or low-intensity conflict. Every effort is made to ensure that incidents are not double-counted. In the event double-counting is detected, or an incident is later learned to be different than initially reported, an explanation of the cancellation of the inaccurate report will be made in at least one message prior to dropping the erroneous report. . A. (U) NORTH AMERICA: No current incidents to report. . B. (U) CENTRAL AMERICA–CARIBBEAN: No current incidents to report. . C. (U) SOUTH AMERICA: No current incidents to report. . D. (U) ATLANTIC OCEAN AREA: No current incidents to report. . E. (U) NORTHERN EUROPE–BALTIC: No current incidents to report. . F. (U) MEDITERRANEAN–BLACK SEA: No current incidents to report. . G. (U) WEST AFRICA: . 1. (U) NIGERIA: Refrigerated cargo ship boarded on 28 February while anchored at position 04:12 N – 006:56 E, 3 nm from Fairway Buoy Port Harcourt. Eight pirates armed with guns boarded the ship from a small wooden boat and started firing toward the bridge and galley areas. The pirates ransacked the ship and stole crew cash, personal effects, and ship’s cash and property. They took hostage the Ship’s Master and Chief Engineer and escaped. The ship informed the local authorities through the agents and sailed to a safe distance without the presence of Master and Engineer aboard. One crew wounded and one other crewman remains unaccounted for. (IMB) . 2. (U) IVORY COAST: Offshore supply ship boarded on 26 February while anchored at 05:16 N – 004:01 W, Abidjan Inner Anchorage 9. Three robbers in a canoe, armed with knives, boarded from the port side main deck. One robber threatened the watch man with a knife while the other two took a pressure washer and they left the ship. The alarm was raised and Port Control was informed. After a short while a harbor police patrol boat came and returned the stolen item. No injuries and no damage to the vessel were reported. (IMB) . 3. (U) NIGERIA: Bulk carrier boarded on 13 February while adrift while awaiting berthing instructions near position 04:43 N – 003:44 E, approximately 110 nm south of Lagos. The pirates took the chief cook hostage and forced him to take them to Master's cabin. They fired 20 shots to force open Master's cabin door. Pirates fired two shots at Master, killing him, then removed ship’s safe from the cabin. The pirates then tried to enter Chief Engineer’s cabin. During this the Chief Engineer attempted to escape through cabin porthole window by using two bed sheets tied together to climb down from the porthole. During this attempt, he fell and, as a result of serious injuries, he died. The pirates managed to escape in a waiting boat. A French warship that was in the area heard the broadcast for assistance and went to the aid of the vessel. A boarding team boarded the vessel and the warship escorted the cargo ship to Lagos port. On arrival at the inner anchorage, Lagos port the authorities boarded the vessel and provided medical assistance to the crew. Later all 18 crewmembers and the bodies of the Master and Chief Engineer were taken ashore. The authorities are investigating the case. (IMB) . 4. (U) NIGERIA: General cargo ship fired upon 11 February while underway near position 05:11 N – 003:27 E, approximately 74 nm south of Lagos fairway buoy. Bridge crew noticed two boats approaching from astern. As the boats closed the cargo ship, they fired upon the vessel. Master raised alarm and crew mustered in a safe area. The boats chased the vessel for 25 minutes before aborting and moving away. All crew are safe. The ship sustained minor damage from gunshots. (IMB) . 5. (U) BENIN: Product tanker boarded on 9 February while adrift, awaiting orders, near position 04:57 N – 002:16 E, approximately 83 nm South of Cotonou. Pirates boarded and hijacked the ship and sailed to an unknown location. Awaiting further reporting. (IMB) . 6. (U) GHANA: Offshore tug boarded by four robbers on 9 February while berthed at position 04:53 N – 001:45 W, Takoradi Port. The robbers, armed with long knives, threatened duty watchman and stole ship’s stores, and escaped in a waiting canoe. No crew injuries and incident reported to port authorities. (IMB) . 7. (U) THE REP OF CONGO: Container ship boarded on 4 February by an unknown number of robbers while anchored at position 04:46 S – 011:47 E, Point Noire Anchorage. Duty watchman found wet footprints on deck and padlock to bow thruster room broken. Crewman informed duty officer, who then noticed a small boat alongside the vessel. Duty officer raised alarm and mustered the crew. Upon further inspection, a number of storage lockers were broken into and ship’s stores and spare parts noted stolen. Small boat escaped. Ship’s master attempted to report the incident to port authorities, but received no response. (IMB) . H. (U) RED SEA: No current incidents to report. . I. (U) INDIAN OCEAN–EAST AFRICA: . 1. (U) ARABIAN SEA: Vehicle carrier M/V LEILA reportedly hijacked on 15 February while underway 50 nm south-southwest of Sadh, Oman. (Press) . 2. (U) ARABIAN SEA: Tanker attacked on 22 February while underway in position 13:30 N – 050:22 E, in the Arabian Sea. One skiff sighted approaching the ship from 1.6 nm from starboard bow. The onboard armed security team came to the bridge and identified weapons in the skiff and fired one warning shot. The pirates then fired upon the tanker with AK-47s. An exchange of fire took place with the security team. Master took evasive maneuvers, sent a distress message, contacted relevant authorities, and mustered non-bridge crew personnel in a safe room. A nearby warship dispatched a helicopter to the location. The pirates aborted the attempted attack after firing 50 to 60 rounds and moved away. . 3. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Chemical tanker attacked on 18 February while underway near position 05:29 S - 064:02 E, approximately 500 nm east of the Seychelles. One skiff noted approaching ship from 2 nm. As the skiff closed to a half nautical mile, it stopped and five to six pirates with RPGs and automatic weapons were seen by bridge crew. The onboard armed security team fired warning shots; pirates aboard the skiff returned fire with automatic weapons then moved away. (IMB) . 4. (U) ARABIAN SEA: Bulk carrier hijacked on 7 February while underway near position 16:03 N – 062:26 E, approximately 520 nm NE of Socotra Island, Yemen. UKMTO was first notified about the potential hijacking when the vessel owner informed them that he could not contact the vessel. The Free Goddess was en route from Adabiya, Egypt, to Singapore, carrying 19,475 metric tons of steel cable with a crew of 21 on board. (Press) . J. (U) PERSIAN GULF: No current incidents to report. . K. (U) SOUTHEAST ASIA: . 1. (U) BANGLADESH: Container ship boarded on 29 February while anchored at position 21:44 N – 091:37 E, 12 nm west of Kutubdia Island. Robbers were able to board the ship and steal ship's stores and escape unnoticed. Master informed port authority and local agent. . 2. (U) INDONESIA: Chemical tanker boarded on 23 February while under pilotage at position 03:23N – 099:27E: Kuala Tanjung Anchorage. Duty engineer raised alarm when he saw robbers holding an engineering crewman hostage and stealing spare parts. Pilot informed port authorities. Seeing crew alertness the robbers escaped in a waiting boat. During the incident the hostage was tied up, slapped and kicked and required medical attention. (IMB) . 3. (U) INDIA: Tanker experienced an attempted boarding on 15 February while anchored at position 09:57 N – 076:02 E, 2.5 nm south of SPM Cochin Anchorage. Approximately 20 robbers in two boats approached the tanker and attempted to board. The lookout crew noticed the robbers, raised the alarm, and mustered the crew. The robbers aborted the attack upon seeing the crew alertness and moved away. (IMB) . 4. (U) VIETNAM: Bulk carrier at anchor boarded on 12 February while anchored at position 20:40 N – 107:14 E, Cailan Outer Anchorage. A gang of seven robbers boarded using a hook and a rope. Duty crewman noticed the robbers and informed bridge who raised the alarm. All crew mustered. The robbers threatened the duty the duty crewman with knives, then broke the forepeak stores locker open and stole ship's stores. Crewmembers tried to stop the robbers but they threw knives, sticks and iron rods at the crew and started lowering the stolen stores into their boat. The Master stopped the crew from confronting the robbers as some of them were armed with pistols. The robbers escaped with the stolen stores in a small motor boat. Master attempted to contact the port control but received no response. (IMB) . 5. (U) INDONESIA: General cargo ship boarded on 10 February while anchored at position 07:06 S – 112:39 E, Gresik Port Inner Anchorage. The robbers managed to steal ship’s stores and escaped unnoticed. Incident reported to port authorities. (IMB) . 6. (U) INDONESIA: Tanker boarded on 7 February while anchored at 01:06 N – 103:28 E, Karimun STS anchorage. Duty crewman on rounds sighted three robbers, armed with steel rods, on the aft deck area and immediately raised the alarm. The robbers escaped without taking anything. Incident reported to port authorities. (IMB) . L. (U) NORTH ASIA: No current incidents to report. . M. (U) PACIFIC-ANTARCTIC OCEAN: No current incidents to report. . N. (U) ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC NON-STATE ACTIVIST GROUPS: No current incidents to report. . 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 be contacted with maritime crime reports. It also lists other resources where the WTS is posted and where piracy and maritime crime incident information can be found. . (U) Contact . (U) Originator of this WTS report requests consumer feedback. Originator will incorporate all anti-shipping events and 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 Agency’s Maritime Safety site: http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) also publishes a live piracy report based on reporting from the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, listing all piracy and armed robbery incidents in the last ten days: http://www.icc-ccs.org/. The PAWW and WTS Reports are posted each week on the ONI Intel Portal and can be found at :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 welcomes comment 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 describe the range of criminal anti-shipping activity and impediments to safe navigation in our worldwide reporting and analysis. Please note that these terms relate to observable activity and are independent of target vessel status and exclude actions by governmental powers in lawful pursuit of their authorities: . . * (U) Attempted Boarding – Close approach or hull-to-hull contact with report that boarding paraphernalia were employed or visible in the approaching boat. . * (U) Blocking – Hampering safe navigation, docking, or undocking of a vessel as a means of protest. . * (U) Boarding – Unauthorized boarding of a vessel by persons not part of its complement without successfully taking control of the vessel. . * (U) Firing Upon – Weapons discharged at or toward a vessel. . * (U) Hijacking – Unauthorized seizure and retention of a vessel by persons not part of its complement. . * (U) Kidnapping – Unauthorized forcible removal of persons belonging to the vessel from it. . * (U) Robbery – Theft from a vessel or from persons aboard the vessel. . * (U) Suspicious Approach – All 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 agencies and commercial sources. . * Agence France Presse (AFP) * Associated Press (AP) * BBC News (BBC) * Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), Denmark (BIMCO) * EU Naval Forces (EU) * Fairplay (FP), London * International Maritime Bureau (IMB), London and Kuala Lumpur * International Maritime Organization (IMO), London * Informa Group (INFO), formerly LLP, Llp Limited, London * Latitude38.com (LAT), website * Lloyd’s List (LL), daily, London * Local media (LM) * Maritime Administration (MARAD), US * Maritime Security Council (MSC), US * Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA), Northwood * MaRisk by Risk Intelligence (Risk Intelligence/MaRisk) * Noonsite.com (Noonsite), website * North Atlantic Treaty Organization Shipping Center (NSC), Brussels * National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Navigation Safety System * Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) (analysis and comment) * Operator (owner or operator of affected vessel) * Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), US * United States Coast Guard (USCG) * Royal Australian Navy (RAN) * Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, Information Sharing Center (ReCAAP ISC) * Reuters * Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) * Seafarers’ Assistance Program (SAP), Kenya * Tradewinds (TW) * United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) * United Press International (UPI) * U.S. Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO) Bahrain * U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) * U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) * U.S. Department of State (DOS) * U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) . (U) ICOD: 29 Feb 2012 UNCLASSIFIED