• One incident has been recorded globally during this reporting period.
• West Africa VRA/HRA: One incident has been reported this week.
• Indian Ocean VRA/HRA: No incidents have been reported this week.
• Southeast Asia Region: No incidents have been reported this week. 
• Americas Region: No incidents have been reported this week.

• One incident reported this week. 

• The incident this week saw a pirate attack take place on a passenger boat that was transiting between Kula and Port Harcourt, Rivers State Waterways, Nigeria. 

• Six of the incidents this year have involved passenger boats. All of those incidents occurred whilst they were underway. 

• The nine members of crew who were kidnapped on a FPSO approximately 33nm south southwest of Bonny, Nigeria on 2nd July have now been released.

• No incidents reported this week. 
• The most recent incident saw an attempted robbery take place on an offshore supply vessel whilst anchored in Kakinada Port, India on 16th July.
• Eight (28%) of the incidents so far this year in the region have been robberies in India.
• The most common type of incident in the region so far this year have been robberies. 13 (45%) of the incidents this year have been robberies.

• No incidents reported this week. 

• The last incident to take place was a robbery that occurred on a barge under tow in the precautionary area of the Singapore Strait on 26th July.

• Fifteen (25%) of the incidents this year have taken place in Singapore. 

• Security experts have warned that the cash strapped militant group Abu Sayyaf (ASG) are likely to increase its piracy and kidnapping activities in the coming months.

• No incidents reported this week. 
• The last incident to take place was a robbery that occurred onboard a bulk carrier that was drifting 3nm northwest of Carrefour, Haiti on 28th July.
• Six (27%) of the incidents that have taken place this year were in Haiti. All of the six incidents were robberies.
• Seven (32%) of the incidents this year have involved bulk carriers. All seven of the incidents were robberies. Six of those vessels were anchored whilst one was drifting.

This report is produced in partnership with with Clearwater (CWD).  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).

Piracy: CWD/CV have adopted the definition of piracy similar to that given in the BMP5. 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. CWD/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 which CWD Operations Centre has received.

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 remote and hostile environments with safety at the heart of our operations and we are proud to consistently deliver the most complex projects safely, on time and on budget. Our security and advisory experts are highly experienced and qualified to provide a dedicated, client focused service, delivering risk mitigation solutions carefully tailored to project priorities.

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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.