Weekly Piracy Report

commercial crime services ^ | 23 April 2003 | commercial crime services

[Lokibob]

 

 

 

 

Weekly Piracy Report
15 - 21 April 2003

The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 15 - 21 April 2003.

Warning : Gaspar straits, Indonesia.
Five incidents have been reported in the vicinity of Lat 03S: Long 107E (Gaspar Straits) during last week. Ships are advised to take extra precautions in this area.

Recently reported incidents

	20.04.2003 at 0340 LT in position: 03:12S - 116:20E, anchored off north Pulau Laut coal terminal, Indonesia. Three pirates boarded a bulk carrier, held the duty seaman at knifepoint and lowered two mooring ropes into a speedboat and fled.
	20.04.2003 at 0230 LT in position: 13:03N - 051:17E about 55 NM off north-eastern tip of Somali coast, Gulf of Aden. Pirates armed with guns and knives boarded a general cargo ship underway from three speedboats and took control of the ship. They destroyed all communication equipment onboard. Master received head injuries and stab wounds and cuts from knives. Other crew and officers were tied up and held on the bridge and in cabins. Pirates stole ship's cash and left around 0400 hrs and headed towards Somali coast.
	20.04.2003, early morning hours at Fort-de-France, Martinique, Caribbean. Three armed pirates boarded a tug at anchor. They broke wheelhouse door and stole cash, property and safety equipment. When master approached them, pirates escaped in a wooden fishing boat fitted with powerful OBM. Police and harbour dept informed but only harbour master came to take statement.
	18.04.2003 at 0006 LT at Dar Es Salaam anchorage, Tanzania. Pirates boarded a container ship at forecastle and stole ship's stores and safety equipment. Master informed port control.
	17.04.2003 at 1700 LT at Georgetown inner anchorage 'B', Guyana. Two pirates boarded a tanker from forecastle. They stole safety equipment and escaped in a boat, which was waiting with four accomplices. Master informed authorities and coast guard patrol boat came and searched the area.
	16.04.2003 at 2320 LT in position 03:10.3N - 112:52.4E off Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia. Three pirates boarded a general cargo ship at forecastle. Alert crew raised alarm and pirates threw stones at crew and escaped empty handed. Crew suffered injuries.

[Lokibob]

This web site also lists areas of concern for high seas piracy.

I have been watching this web site for a year or so, and this is about an average week with an incident a day.

[Redcloak]

Ping...

[WaveThatFlag]

Arrrr, 'tis but an average week says I.

[Dengar01]

Yo Ho, Yo Ho... ah forget about it.

[weegee]

What, no stolen mp3s?

[Blue Screen of Death]

I spent 5 years cruising the Pacific on my sailboat and felt much safer than I would walking down the streets in our nations capitol.

[Lokibob]

I don't doubt it, due to the population density.

Most of these pirates board a ship to scrounge what they can out of lockers and that kind of thing. Petty thefts.

Note that in one of the pirate incidents, the pirates were armed with rocks.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Quit yer yammerin'. You'll blow me cover.

Arrrhh!

[TexanToTheCore]

One of my cruising friends carries two stainless steel shotguns, pump style. One with shot to sweep the decks, the other with slug to sink the boat. He's repelled one boarding party so far, by just cocking the shotgun.

Many cruisers are very well armed, and they are extremely dangerous. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there are a certain number of pirates that get shot up, and their boats towed out to sea and sunk, without reports being filed. There are just too many cruisers with non-trivial armaments aboard wafting about the Carribean.

[TexanToTheCore]

Plus other stuff......