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Monday 13 November to Monday 20 November 2023 |
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Dear
Please find below our most recent Weekly Maritime Report. If you have any queries about our reports please contact us at africaops@castorvali.com
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Total no of incidents: 07 |
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Incident mapping - Overview |
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Threat Level
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Total of Incidents
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- No alerts reported this week.
- Last reported incident was robbery of an anchored Fast Supply Intervention Vessel at Luanda Anchorage, Angola on the 2nd of NOV.
- Recent incidents underline continued risk faced by vessels and their crew members operating in this area, and the inability of regional authorities to respond expeditiously.
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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02/11/2023
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2220 UTC
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ROBBERY
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8° 44' 24.00"S
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13° 18' 12.00"E
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A robbery has been reported on a Fast Supply Intervention Vessel anchored at Luanda Anchorage, Angola. two robbers boarded the vessel and were spotted on the deck by the watchkeeper who raised the alarm. Upon hearing the alarm the robbers escaped. A search of the vessel identified that some paint boxes had been stolen. The Local authorities were subsequently informed.
Analysis: This is the sixth incident in Angolan ports this year, and the fourth reported out of Luanda, Angola, this year. In 2022, 7 reported incidents out of 43 in the region took place in Angola, all at anchorage, between either Soyo or Luanda Anchorage.
Modus operandi among these incidents remains the same, wherein robbers attempt to access via anchor chains, or by boarding smaller crew/OSV/tug/barge vessels, steal ship properties, then depart on small vessels.
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West Africa Weekly Comparison |
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2022-2023 West Africa Monthly Comparison |
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Threat Level
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Total of Incidents
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- Five alerts were reported this week.
○Hijacking of underway vehicle carrier in Red Sea on 19th of Nov.
○Suspicious approach on an underway unidentified vessel in the Gulf of Oman on 14th of Nov.
○Firing exercise near Gwadar, Pakistan on the 17th & 18th of Nov.
○Firing exercise near Karachi Pakistan throughout the month of Nov.
○GPS disruption notice in the Indian Ocean on the 14th of Nov.
- One additional incident included from the previous reporting period.
○Firing exercise in Arabian Sea on 14th & 16th of Nov.
- Increased risk level due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Region related to the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
- Continued verified reports of AIS spoofing and “ghost” targets in and around Strait of Hormuz; possibly with intent to divert vessels into Iranian territorial waters.
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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19/11/2023
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0000 UTC
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Hijack
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14° 49' 60.00"N
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41° 55' 0.00"E
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Initial Alert: The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has reported an incident occurring 50 nautical miles west of Hodeidah, Yemen. The Company Security Officer (CSO) has reported a loss of communication with the vessel, which is suspected to have been boarded by unauthorized individuals. The CSO has also reported that the vessel has been moved to Hodeidah.
Update 1: Further reporting has indicated this was a hijacking of the Bahamas-flagged vehicle carrier GALAXY LEADER (IMO: 9237307) by Houthi rebels. The vessel is affiliated with Abraham “Rami” Ungar, an Israeli businessman, and the Houthis have stated they took the ship and crew as hostages because of its connection to Israel; warning they would target more ships linked to or owned by Israelis. The Israeli government denounced the seizure as an “Iranian act of terror” and said it was a “very grave incident of global consequence.”
Associated Press has confirmed that twenty-five crew members have been taken hostage. The vessel was transiting from Korfez, Turkey and was in-route to Pipavav, India when the incident occurred. The vessel’s AIS was reportedly turned off at the time of the boarding.
Update 2: In the initial report, there was an error in the description of the incident. The Houthi rebels did utilize a helicopter, and the video released by the perpetrators shows a brief landing on the deck of the GALAXY LEADER before 8 to 9 boarders proceeded to the bridge. Contrary to the information provided, however, the boarders DID NOT appear to have fast-roped to the deck.
The corrected details are as follows:
1) The Houthi rebels executed a helicopter-assisted boarding, with the helicopter briefly landing on the deck of the GALAXY LEADER.
2) The video footage released by the rebels accurately depicts the helicopter landing on the vessel's deck, followed by their confrontation with the bridge team and their presence in various sections of the ship, including the empty car deck.
3) The rebels also showcased footage from one of their speedboats passing along the port side of the vessel.
Analysis: The seizing of the GALAXY LEADER was a relatively sophisticated operation involving the use of a helicopter. It is not clear how the Houthis acquired the helicopter and the skills to execute this maneuver, but it may indicate that they have received assistance from their Iranian backers or other sources.
This is the first known instance of the Houthis using a helicopter to board a ship, and it demonstrates their increasing capabilities and willingness to challenge the international maritime security in the Red Sea and beyond. Most Houthi maritime attacks thus far have involved drones, rockets, or mines.
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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17/11/2023
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0000 UTC
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Caution
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25° 5' 53.00"N
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62° 22' 12.00"E
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A live weapon firing exercise is planned to take place from 0300-1200 UTC on November 17 and 18, 2023. The designated danger area for this exercise is defined by an arc with a radius of 20, 000 meters, centered at coordinates 25-05.88N 062-22.27E, extending from 130 to 220 degrees clockwise.
Analysis: Ships and craft are to keep well clear of assigned danger area on above specified schedule. All vessels in the vicinity are advised to remain vigilant and requested to report any incidents to UKMTO. All vessels are requested to inform UKMTO if any interference is noted on Radios/Radars/GPS
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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15/11/2023
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0000 UTC
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Caution
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25° 31' 26.00"N
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66° 17' 6.00"E
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A rocket firing is scheduled in an area defined by the following coordinates:
25-31.43N 66-17.11E, 25-23.82N 66-39.09E, 25-21.22N 66-38.21E, 25-26.33N 66-15.40E.
The firing schedule is as follows: daily from 0300 to 0500 UTC from November 15-17, 2023; from 0300 to 0900 UTC on November 18 and 19, 2023; and from 0300 to 0700 UTC on November 20, 2023.
Analysis: Ships and craft are to keep well clear of assigned danger area on above specified schedule. All vessels in the vicinity are advised to remain vigilant and requested to report any incidents to UKMTO. All vessels are requested to inform UKMTO if any interference is noted on Radios/Radars/GPS
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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14/11/2023
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0950 UTC
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General Alert
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4° 49' 44.00N
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65° 54' 18.00"E
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Navigation System Disruptions. Shipmasters encountering disruptions to their electronic navigation systems, including GPS, AIS, or other PNT, within the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area are urged to report to UKMTO.
Analysis: Detailed reports of any irregular activity can be sent to watchkeepers@ukmto.org. Please provide as much detail as possible using the irregular activity report form found in BMP5 Annex D.
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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14/11/2023
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0000 UTC
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Suspicious Approach
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24° 0' 15.00"N
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60° 33' 21.00"E
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A Vessel Security Officer reported to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) that a ship was approached to within half a nautical mile by four individuals armed on a small boat. The incident took place about 80 nautical miles south of Shahid Beheshti, Iran. The small boat left the area without any engagement. It has been confirmed that all crew members and passengers are safe.
Analysis: This represents the sixth reported incident in the vicinity of the Gulf of Oman targeting international shipping. Four of the previous incidents were IRGC seizures or interdictions of international vessels. As such, this incident may be related to continued harassment in the vicinity by the IRGC.
All vessels transiting within the area are advised to exercise caution, remain vigilant, retain an enhanced local surveillance, maintain strict observational watch, and apply BMP5 procedures. Report any suspicious activity to authorities.
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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12/11/2023
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1400 UTC
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Caution
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23° 31' 60.00"N
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63° 49' 60.00"E
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[Last Reporting Period]
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has announced that naval vessels will be conducting live firing exercises from 01:00 to 17:00 UTC between November 14th and 16th, 2023. The exercises will take place within an area defined by the following coordinates:
A. 25-00N 063-50E B. 25-00N 066-35E C. 23-32N 066-35E D. 23-32N 063-50E.
Analysis: Ships and craft are to keep well clear of assigned danger area on above specified schedule. All vessels in the vicinity are advised to remain vigilant and requested to report any incidents to UKMTO. All vessels are requested to inform UKMTO if any interference is noted on Radios/Radars/GPS
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Indian Ocean Weekly Comparison |
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2022-2023 Indian Ocean Monthly Comparison |
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Threat Level
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Total of Incidents
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- One alert was reported this week.
- Attempted robbery of an anchored bulk carrier in Belawan Anchorage, Indonesia on the 14th of Nov.
- Phillip Channel remains a key area of robberies and boardings within Singapore & Malacca Straits.
- There have been at least 63 incidents reported in the vicinity of Singapore Strait this year. 93 incidents were reported in the vicinity in 2022; 58 of which occurred in, or near, the TSS.
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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14/11/2023
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2245 UTC
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ROBBERY
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3° 56' 29.40"N
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98° 45' 12.00"E
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Reports indicate that an anchored product tanker at Belawan anchorage, Indonesia, was boarded by three knife-wielding robbers. The vigilant duty crew detected the intruders and promptly sounded the alarm, causing the robbers to flee without stealing anything.
Analysis: This is the 10th incident reported this year taking place within an Indonesian port, and the 67th incident reported near the Singapore & Malacca Straits since the beginning of the year.
Overall, incidents within this region involved armed individuals with small knives or blunt objects. These robbers usually escape upon detection, with stolen ship properties, stores or cargo, with minimal violence occurring between crew and robbers. However, based on the volume of incidents, this region requires vigilance when transiting.
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Southeast Asia Weekly Comparison |
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2022 - 2023 Southeast Asia Monthly Comparison |
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Threat Level
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Total of Incidents
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- One alert reported this week.
- Robbery of anchored bulk carrier in Callo Anchorage, Peru, on the 16th of Nov.
- Callao Anchorage, Peru remains an area where there is a higher frequency of reported incidents in the region; specifically, commercial vessels at anchor.
- Among the 12 incidents reported this year in the Americas, 8 occurred within Callao Anchorage; all between 0000-0800 hrs UTC.
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Date
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Time
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Incident Type
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Latitude
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Longitude
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16/11/2023
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0540 UTC
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ROBBERY
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11° 58' 60.00"S
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77° 13' 0.00"W
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Reports indicate that a Bulk Carrier anchored at Callao, Peru was boarded by two armed robbers who stole from the ship's stores at the forward station. The incident was reported to the local port authorities. All crew members are confirmed to be safe.
Analysis: This is the eighth incident of this type to be reported in Callao anchorage this year, with eight similar incidents occurring in the anchorage last year. In most reported cases in this area, robbers were armed with knives and were able to escape with ship's and/or crew property.
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Americas Weekly Comparison |
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2022 - 2023 Americas Monthly Comparison |
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Weekly Alert Comparison by Area |
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2022 - 2023 Overall Monthly Comparison |
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All findings are predictive and estimative. To communicate these findings clearly and in order to accurately compare threat levels, the report uses a variation of terminology used by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
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Piracy: CV has adopted the definition of piracy similar to that given in the BMP. Content within this document uses the term ‘piracy’ which includes all violent and non-violent acts against vessels, her crew and cargo which have taken place either in internal waterways, territorial waters or deep offshore. CV classifies piracy incidents into six categories:
Hijacking – Crew lost control of the vessel for a sufficient period of time and then pirates kidnapped at least one crewmember and/or passenger(s).
Pirate Attack – Vessel was attacked with gunfire or RPG fire and/or then boarded the vessel with the intent to hijack and/or kidnap at least one crewmember(s) and/or passenger(s).
Robbery – Vessel is boarded with criminal intent, theft does not have to occur.
Suspicious approach/vessels – Suspicious activity reported (i.e. a vessel was approached by unidentified craft with one or more persons on board) or sighting of firearms and boarding equipment on board a suspicious vessel and/or sighting of a confirmed pirate mother ship.
General Alert – A reported incident has been released by authorities to notify seafarers of a possible incident which is still being investigated/confirmed. This can also be a warning of an imminent Danger to seafarers.
Caution – An unconfirmed warning of an incident that could affect seafarers.
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With our head office in the UK, and regional offices in East, West and South Africa, the Castor Vali Group specialises in International
Protective Services, Corporate Security and Risk Management services to governments, multinational organisations and the energy
sector in emerging and high risk markets. We have extensive experience and a thorough understanding of the risks when operating in
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Contact us:
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Disclaimer
You have received this report as part of your organisation’s subscription. Castor Vali assessment and advice is given based on the information received and processed by us and the surrounding circumstances known to us to exist at the time. Subsequent changes to relevant information or the surrounding circumstances may affect the reliability of our assessment and advice, but we do not accept responsibility for that effect. We do not accept responsibility for the outcome of any action taken or not taken as a result of our assessment and advice unless the possibility of that action being taken or not taken is set out in specific terms in our instructions.
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