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Monday 17 to Monday 24 July 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 of no of incidents: 03 |
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Incident mapping - Overview |
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Threat Level
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Total of Incidents
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- Two alerts reported this week.
- A Robbery of a Container Vessel anchored at Soyo Anchorage, Angola on the 20th of July.
- A Boarding of a Fishing Vessel underway near Freetown, Sierra Leone on the 22nd of July.
- Recent incidents underline continued and elevated risk faced by vessels and crew operating in this area, and the inability of regional authorities to respond expeditiously.
- Intelligence suggests a pirate action group (PAG) is likely operating in the region. PAGs have been known to operate for multiple days offshore before engaging a target vessel.
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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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22/07/2023
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0500 UTC
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BOARDING
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8° 22' 0.00"
N
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13° 31' 60.00" W
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The IMB Piracy Reporting Centre received information from ECOWAS MMCC Zone F that a Fishing Vessel was boarded by thirteen pirates armed with guns while underway approximately 16nm SW of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The vessel was last reported to be heading towards Liberian EEZ. The Sierra Leone and Liberia Coast Guard have been notified.
The incident is still ongoing and further details of the incident will be reported as they are received.
ANALYSIS: This is the second incident reported within the last three weeks near Sierra Leone waters, with the last reported incident occurring 05 July 2023. Nine out of twenty-two reported incidents within the region this year have included armed individuals and or use of force in incidents, with remaining incidents being attempted boardings, kidnapping with explicit mention of the use of force, or non-violent theft. Seven of twenty-one reported incidents this year have occurred while underway, with the remaining being berthed or at anchor. Most reported incidents within the region have occurred in the vicinity of the Gulf of Guinea.
All vessels transiting within the area are advised to exercise extreme caution, remain vigilant, retain an enhanced local surveillance, maintain strict Anti-Piracy Watch, and apply BMP WA 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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20/07/2023
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0150 UTC
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ROBBERY
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6° 6' 32.00"
S
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12° 12' 24.00" E
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A Robbery has been reported aboard a Hong Kong-flagged Container Vessel while anchored at Soyo Anchorage, Angola. An unknown number of perpetrators boarded the vessel from a small boat and were able break into and steal items from a container. Duty crew spotted the robbers in and raised the alarm, resulting in the perpetrators escaping. The vessel and crew are reported as safe.
ANALYSIS: This is the second incident of this type to be reported in Soyo, Angola this year. Several incidents like this one have also been reported in Soyo in the past; including a robbery of a container ship anchored near Soyo on 24.08.2022.
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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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- No alerts reported this week.
- One alert from previous reporting period.
Robbery of an anchored Bulk Carrier at Beria Anchorage, Mozambique on the 16th of July.
- Iran’s continued interference with maritime shipping in the SOH, as well as recent sightings, suspicious approaches, and attacks related to the ongoing conflict in Yemen highlight vessels’ continued need for vigilance when transiting the region.
- 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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16/07/2023
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1030 UTC
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ROBBERY
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19° 55' 12.60" N
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35° 5'
9.00" E
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A robbery has beeen reported aboard a Bulk Carrier while anchored at Beira Anchorage, Mozambique. Robbers reportedly gained access to the vessel and were able to escaape unnoticed with items of ship's stores.
ANALYSIS: This is the first incident of this type to be reported in Beira Anchorage. However, six similar incidents have been reported at various anchorages along the Mozambique coast since 2019.
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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 reported this week.
Attempted robbery of a Tanker anchored at Batam anchorage, Indonesia on the 19th of July.
- Three alerts from previous reporting period.
Attempted Robbery of a Bulk Carrier underway in the Singapore Strait on the 14th of July. Robbery of a Bulk Carrier underway in the Phillip Channel, Singapore Strait on the 15th of July. Robbery of a Bulk Carrier underway in the Phillip Channel, Singapore Strait on the 15th of July.
- Phillip Channel, Singapore Strait, remains key area where robberies or boardings take place within Singapore & Malacca Straits.
- Of 93 incidents reported in the vicinity of Singapore Strait in 2022, 58 took place 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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19/07/2023
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1825 UTC
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ROBBERY
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1° 10' 32.40" N
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103° 56' 36.00" E
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An attempted Robbery has been reported aboard a Tanker anchored at Batam anchorage, Indonesia. Three perpetrators armed with knives reportedly gained access to the vessel before crewmembers raised the alarm, resulting in the robbers escaping empty-handed. The Crew mustered, and were reported safe. The incident was reported to the Batam Vessel Traffic Information Service.
ANALYSIS: This is the 51st incident reported within the vicinity of the Singapore & Malacca Straits since the beginning of the year; the seventh in July.
Eleven similar incidents were reported in June, in which property was stolen aboard several of the vessels, including scrap metal and engine parts. Most incidents occurred while vessels were underway, with robbers being discovered by duty crew in or near the vessels' engine room, and often armed with knives.
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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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15/07/2023
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1835 UTC
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ROBBERY
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1° 10' 32.40" N
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56' 36.00"
E
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[Previous Reporting Period]
An attempted Robbery has been reported aboard a Panamanian-flagged Bulk Carrier while underway in the Phillip Channel, Singapore Strait. The Master reported to Singapore VTIS West that the crew had sighted about five perpetrators in the engine room. The alarm was raised and crew mustered. All crew members were accounted for, and the crew was not injured. The crew conducted a search on board, with no further sighting of the perpetrators. Nothing was stolen.
The RSN's MSTF and Singapore Police Coast Guard were notified of the incident. Information of the incident was shared with the Indonesian authorities.
Upon the ship's arrival at Singapore anchorage, Singapore Police Coast Guard boarded and searched the ship, and confirmed no perpetrators were found on board.
ANALYSIS: This is the 50th incident reported within the vicinity of the Singapore & Malacca Straits since the beginning of the year; the sixth in July.
Eleven similar incidents were reported in June, in which property was stolen aboard several of the vessels, including scrap metal and engine parts. Most incidents occurred while vessels were underway, with robbers being discovered by duty crew in or near the vessels' engine room, and often armed with knives.
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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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15/07/2023
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1317 UTC
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ROBBERY
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1° 2' 52.80" N
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103° 40' 16.80" E
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[Previous Reporting Period]
A Robbery has been reported aboard a Marshall Islands-flagged Bulk Carrier while underway in the Phillip Channel, Singapore Strait. The Master reported to Singapore VTIS West the Crew had sighted four perpetrators in the boiler, who escaped after Crew activated the emergency alarm. Crew was mustered to conduct a search on board. Engine spares were stolen, and no crewmembers were reported injured.
Safety navigational broadcast was initiated. The RSN's MSTF and Singapore Police Coast Guard were notified of the incident. Information of the incident was shared with the Indonesian authorities.
Upon the ship's arrival at Singapore anchorage, Singapore Police Coast Guard boarded and searched the ship, and confirmed no perpetrators were found on board.
ANALYSIS: This is the 49th incident reported within the vicinity of the Singapore & Malacca Straits since the beginning of the year; the fifth in July, where most have included reports of four or five boarders.
Eleven similar incidents were reported in June, in which property was stolen aboard several of the vessels, including scrap metal and engine parts. Most incidents occurred while vessels were underway, with robbers being discovered by duty crew in or near the vessels' engine room, and often armed with knives.
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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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14/07/2023
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1810 UTC
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ROBBERY
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1° 16' 36.00" N
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104° 15' 6.00" E
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[Previous Reporting Period]
An attempted Robbery has been reported aboard a Cyprus-flagged Bulk Carrier while underway in the Singapore Strait. The Master reported to Singapore VTIS that the Crew sighted five perpetrators on the aft deck. The Master sounded the alarm and mustered the Crew.
The Crew conducted a search on board, with no further sighting of the perpetrators. All crewmembers were safe and accounted for. Nothing was reported stolen. The ship was en-route to the next port at Huanghua, China, after departing from Singapore.
Safety broadcast for anti-piracy was initiated. The RSN's MSTF and Singapore Police Coast Guard were notified of the incident. Information of the incident was shared with the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities.
ANALYSIS: This is the 48th incident reported within the vicinity of the Singapore & Malacca Straits since the beginning of the year; the fourth in July, where most have included reports of five boarders.
Eleven similar incidents were reported in June, in which property was stolen aboard several of the vessels, including scrap metal and engine parts. Most incidents occurred while vessels were underway, with robbers being discovered by duty crew in or near the vessels' engine room, and often armed with knives.
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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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- No alerts reported this week.
- Last reported alert was a robbery of a Chemical Tanker at Callao Anchorage, Peru on the 3rd of June.
- Callao Anchorage, Peru continues to be an area where there is a higher frequency of reported incidents in the region; specifically, commercial vessels at anchor.
- Among the 8 incidents reported this year in the Americas, 5 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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03/06/2023
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0842 UTC
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ROBBERY
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12° 0' 46.20" S
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77° 11' 45.60" W
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[Last Reported Period]
A robbery has been reported aboard a Chemical Tanker while anchored at Callao Anchorage, Peru. According to reports, a thief boarded the ship and removed the cover to the hawsepipe, enabling more criminals to come aboard. The crew on duty noticed the robbers near the fo'c'sle storage area and alerted others, causing the criminals to flee with stolen items from the ship's stores.
ANALYSIS: This is the fifth 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
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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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