The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) has reported eighteen maritime incidents in October 2014, most of which were petty thefts.
The number of incidents in October increased when compared to July, August and September 2014, but did not reach the October 2013 number of twenty reported incidents.
Category 2 incidents reported in October 2014 were at their lowest in the five-year report period while the number of Category 3 incidents and petty thefts reported in October 2014 was fairly consistent with the same period in 2013.
However, the two Category 1 incidents involving the siphoning of ship fuel/ oil were of concern. The siphoning incidents involved Vietnam-registered product tanker, Sunrise 689 on October 9, and Thailand- registered tanker, Suratchanya on October 15, both incidents occurring in the South China Sea.
These Category 1 incidents adhered to the general modus operandi of incidents involving siphoning of ship fuel/oil which has increased in frequency of occurrence since April 2014. In both incidents, the pirates siphoned off the cargoes of gas oil/gasoline from the tankers, damaged the communication equipment onboard, stole the crew’s personal belongings and cash before escaping. In the Sunrise 689 incident, the crew was slightly injured.
Of the 18 incidents reported in October 2014, seven occurred in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), three in Indonesia, three in the South China Sea (SCS), three in Vietnam, one in Bangladesh and one in India.
Press Release; Image: Thales
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.