ICC-CCS.org - THE WEEKLY PIRACY REPORT - REPORT SNIPPET - QUOTE:
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php
Weekly Piracy Report
6-12 November 2007
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 6 to 12 November 2007.
ALERT
Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh
The number of attacks has reduced since 2006. However, the area is still listed as a high risk area and mariners are advised to be cautious especially while approaching the anchorage and while at anchor at Chittagong
Suspicious crafts
Recently reported incidents
11.11.2007: 0305 LT: Phu My berth ‘A’, Vietnam.
Robbers armed with knives boarded a general cargo ship at berth. Vessel informed port security who came onboard for assistance. While proceeding towards the forecastle, two robbers were seen jumping overboard. Inspection showed ship’s stores were stolen.
09.11.2007: 0800 LT: 28:41N-049:46E, Persian Gulf
A suspicious craft approached a tanker, underway, from the stern. Master sounded general alarm, increased speed, crew mustered and fire hoses standby. The speed boat closed to 0.1nm, and when it noticed crew alertness, aborted approach and moved away.
08.11.2007: 0400 LT: 13:48N - 053:45E, 65 NM North of Socotra Island, Somalia.
C/O onboard a car carrier, underway, noticed an unlit boat at 3NM off the port bow with a speed of 19 kts. The boat reduced speed to match the speed of the vessel. When the craft was about 1nm off master raised alarm, crew mustered and switched on deck lights. At 0430 LT another unlit boat was observed 2NM of port bow of the ship. Both boats altered course towards Socotra at 0445 LT and moved away.
06.11.2007: 2130 LT: 03:55.2N - 099:46.2E, Malacca Straits.
An unidentified small watercraft approached a chemical tanker underway. OOW raised alarm, sounded ship’s whistle, crew mustered and directed searchlight at the craft. The craft came within 150 metres and aborted the attempt
06.11.2007: 1800 UTC: 22:06N-062:31E: Arabian Sea.
A bulk carrier underway detected an unlit suspicious craft, on radar, approaching directly towards own vessel at a speed of 19 knots. Master took all preventive measures to prevent boarding. Suspicious craft reached 0.1 NM from vessel, on seeing crew alertness, the suspicious craft reduced speed and altered course towards another nearby vessel. All vessels were warned on VHF radio about suspicious craft approach.
05.11.2007: 2150 LT: 12:33N – 113:42E: South China Sea.
One suspicious boat followed a general cargo ship at a range of 100m for about an hour. Crew mustered and fire hoses with pressurised water jet standby and action taken to prevent any boarding. Later, master informed the Piracy Reporting Centre that the distance between the boat and the ship was increasing. Vessel continued passage to destination port.
05.11.2007: 0000 – 0400 LT: 19:49.24S-034:50.0E, Beira port, Mozambique.
Robbers boarded a container ship at berth and stole ship’s stores amid tight anti piracy watches. The ship had shore security personal deployed by the port security. In addition, there were armed security guards on the shore side.
November 7, 2007
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/071107tucson.htm
“ICE arrests Arizona man for attempting to smuggle $3 million worth of stolen wedding dresses into Mexico
Dresses were stolen in 2006 from Breast Cancer Foundation”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “TUCSON, Ariz. - An Arizona man is facing charges for attempting to smuggle $3 million worth of wedding dresses into the United States following his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week.
Alejandro Parra-Ruiz, 32, a Mexico national and legal permanent resident of the United States residing in Laveen, Ariz., allegedly hired a commercial driver to transport the dresses, which were stolen from a cancer charity, across the international border.
In April of this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Ariz., discovered a trailer containing the gowns that had been reported stolen by Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation in November 2006. The wedding dresses were donated to the foundation for sale at auction with the proceeds going to the Oregon-based foundation. The gowns were returned to the foundation by CBP shortly after they were recovered.”