Incidents reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) worldwide Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reinforce concerns that the waters off West Africa and in South East Asia continue to be high-risk zones for seafarers. The most recent reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery include the following:
- Armed pirates boarded a cargo ship around 15 nautical miles off Bonny Island, Nigeria on 30 July; some crew members were reported missing. A Nigerian Navy vessel responded and towed the ship to a safe port.
- People in a fishing boat attempted to board a bulk carrier around 65 nautical miles off Dakar, Senegal on 22 July. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered, and the master increased speed and made evasive manoeuvres. The boarding was evaded.
- Two robbers boarded a containership anchored at Manila, Philippines on 14 July. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered. The robbers escaped with ship’s property.
- Six people boarded a cargo ship around 16 nautical miles off Bonny, Nigeria on 13 July. The alarm was raised, security measures taken and the crew retreated to the citadel. The Nigerian Navy boarded the vessel and found all the crew safe.
- Robbers boarded a containership anchored at Manila, Philippines on 10 July, stole ship’s property and escaped.
- Four robbers were spotted on board an offshore supply vessel anchored at Singatac, Pulau Bintan, Indonesia on 13 June. The searchlights were switched on, the ship’s whistle sounded and crew members shouted at the robbers, who escaped empty-handed.
Source: ITF