Tanker pirated while conducting STS operations off West Africa! September 14, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, risk management, security, somali pirates, West Coast of Africa piracy
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The IMB has reported that a tanker was pirated off the West coast of Africa and 23 of her crew taken hostage. The attack occurred Wednesday about 62 nautical miles from Benin’s capital of Cotonou. The bureau said the pirates took over the vessel, kidnapped its crew and sailed to an unknown location.
Updated reports indicate that the master sent SSAS alert, the crew locked themselves in engine room and contacted their companies CSO. Sometime later the pirates left the vessel. The crew came out of the engine room and conducted a search for the pirates and found the vessel to be safe. The crew regained control of the vessel.
Attacks off West Africa are becoming more and more common and brazen. Companies are urged to take proactive measures to ensure that events such as this have less of a chance of occurring. While the outcome was positive and the pirates ended up leaving the ship, the situation could have been far worse.
Private Yacht hijacked off Yemen then rescued same day as Danish family release! September 11, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Armed escort, gulf of aden, gulf of aden security, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, risk management, somali pirates, Somalia
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On the day that a Danish family was released after months in captivity, an unidentified sailing yacht was taken by pirates on September 08, 2011 off the coast of Yemen: Latitude 15 27 N Longitude 052 14 E.
The yacht has now been identified as the catamaran TRIBAL KAT, heading west to east and crewed by the owners, a French couple Christian and Evelyne Colombo. The pirates’ vessel was sunk by a Spanish warship the SPS GALICIA and Evelyne Colombo recovered unharmed and 7 pirates arrested, however, her husband Christian is missing and is reported to have been killed during the initial hijack.
Owners of private vessels are urged to seriously consider avoiding High Risk Waters, as we’re seeing an increase in the numbers of private vessels attacked. As is the tragic case here, pirates are becoming far more violent with killing of hostages during violent takeovers becoming routine.
3rd Wave of Pirates? Law Enforcement Needed? (really?) September 7, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, security, somali pirates, Somalia
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According to Jay Bahadur, author of The Pirates of Somalia, a new wave of more younger, more violent pirates may be on the rise. You can read the interview here. While I agree with Mr. Bahadur on many of his points, he states that the immediate solution to piracy is ‘law enforcement on land’. I feel this is a ludicrous statement. ‘Law enforcement’ in a failed state provides no purpose. To have effective law enforcement you must first have governance. Right now Somalia is largely a lawless land. The per capita income is estimated at around $0.89 US per day. The incentive for piracy is simply too great to dissuade piracy. While I applaud Mr. Bahadur for his efforts at writing the book, his suggestion that law enforcement on the land will stop piracy is another example of an arm chair quarterback taking a very linear, simplistic view of a complex situation. Law enforcement is needed but is simply not possible until there are a number of other pieces put into place.
Danish family held by Somali pirates since February released! September 7, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: gulf of aden, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, risk management, somali pirates, Somalia
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Seven Danish hostages, including a family with teenage children, have been released by Somali pirates after more than six months in captivity, Denmark’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
The Danes — a couple with three children ages 12-16 and two crew members — were captured in the Indian Ocean on Feb. 24 while sailing around the world in a yacht.
“The seven Danes are doing well under the circumstances. They are expected back in Denmark in a short time,” the ministry said in a brief statement.
It gave no details of how they were released and made no mention of a ransom being paid. No one at the Foreign Ministry was immediately available for comment.
Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen told public broadcaster DR that the Danes were on their way back in a chartered airplane paid for by their insurance company. Loekke Rasmussen said their release came after “a long period of negotiations.”
Hostages are held in hot, austere conditions in Somalia — typically for many months — before a ransom is agreed on and paid, and the hijacked ships and crew are released. Last year, a British sailing couple were released after 388 days in captivity. Reports indicated
Pirates Release MV Panama after $7 Million US Ransom Paid September 6, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Armed escort, Chris Mark, InfoSec, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, Ransom, somali pirates
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According to Reuters Africa, Somali pirates released the MV Ransom after a reported $7 million US ransom was paid. The vessel was hijacked on December 10th, 2010 while from Tanzania to Mozambique with a crew of 23 from Myanmar aboard. Based upon recent reports it appears that while the number of successful hijackings are down in 2011, the amount being paid for ransom is increasing sharply. The last two reports had an average ransom of $7.5 Million US paid to pirates. As shipping companies continue to arm their vessels some have posited that attacks will become more violent. I would suggest that not only will the hijackings become more violent but the pirates will demand a higher ransom as they have fewer lucrative targets to attack.
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