Armed robbers continue to pose a threat to seafarers in many parts of the world. Recent incidents reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) worldwide Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) include the following:
- Seven robbers armed with guns and knives boarded a tanker anchored at Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on 7 September, attacked two watchmen and tied them up. The master raised the alarm. The robbers escaped with stolen ship’s stores.
- Four robbers armed with long knives were spotted on board a bulk carrier anchored at Chittagong, Bangladesh on 2 September. The alarm was raised and the crew alerted. The robbers escaped with stolen ship’s stores.
- Five robbers armed with pistols, knives and sticks boarded a tanker anchored at Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela on 1 September, assaulted the duty watchman, tied him up and took him hostage. The alarm was raised, and the robbers jumped overboard and escaped in their boat with stolen ship’s stores. The watchman sustained minor injuries.
- Two robbers boarded a bulk carrier around 4.7 nautical miles off Pulau Nipah, Indonesia on 20 August and threatened the duty oiler with a knife. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered. A warship responded and assisted the ship to Singapore anchorage. All crew were safe.
- Duty watch keepers onboard a tanker anchored at Lagos, Nigeria on 19 August spotted a floating object and informed the armed security guard, who fired warning shots. One robber jumped overboard from the tanker. The alarm was raised and all crew except the watch keepers retreated to the citadel. A security check spotted a robber hiding in the hawse pipe, who was apprehended and later handed over to the local agents. The robbers had managed to steal some oil from the tanker.
- A robber was spotted near a tanker anchored at Takoradi, Ghana on 4 August. The alarm was raised and the robber jumped overboard and escaped in a boat with stolen ship’s property.
Source: ITF