Week 06 – Maritime Security Weekly Snapshot

Gulf of Guinea – Maritime Security Incidents

09 Feb 18: Crew kidnapped from vessel south-west of Idenao, Cameroon. A Chinese-flagged fishing vessel was attacked by armed men at 04°06’00N, 08°51’00E. The attackers kidnapped three crewmembers and escaped. 09 Feb 18: Vessel attacked south of Brass. A merchant vessel reported coming under attack near 03°43’0N, 06°45’0E. The vessel took evasive action and escaped the attackers. Further details remain unclear. 07 Feb 18: Suspicious approach reported in Gulf of Guinea. A skiff approached at speed with a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Guinea at 03°28’0N, 06°56’0E, closing to within 1nm before changing course. Vessel security team was stood-to. 06 Feb 18: Hijacked vessel and crew released. The tanker, Marine Express, and its crew were released unharmed following its hijacking on 01 February 2018.

Indian Ocean – Maritime Security Incidents

08 Feb 18: Houthi Capability Assessment. Israeli naval sources released a report suggesting that, in a wider regional conflict, Yemeni Houthi rebels have the capability to close the southern Red Sea to merchant traffic. This statement strongly links this capability to ongoing Iranian support for the group.

South East Asia – Maritime Security Incidents

11 Feb 18: Attempted boarding in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Five men, armed with knives, attempted to board a bulk carrier at 22°07’70N, 91°43’41. The crew spotted the attackers and readied fire hoses. The attackers escaped empty handed. 09 Feb 18: Attempted boarding in Kolkata, India. A duty crewman spotted a three people attempting to climb the anchor chain of a bulk carrier at 22°11’56N, 88°09’59. Upon being spotted, the robbers aborted their attempt to board and fled.
Click link to Download PDF:  Solace Global Maritime Security Snapshot – Week 06 A roundup of maritime security incidents – an easy to read format collating suspicious approaches, vessel attacks, boardings, hijacks and media reports. The week 06 Maritime Security Snapshot was compiled by Solace Global’s in-house intelligence team.