Week 12 – Maritime Security Weekly Snapshot

Gulf of Guinea – Maritime Security Incidents

22 Mar 18: Vessel Attacked near Bonny, Nigeria. A merchant vessel underway at 03°35’N 006°44’E was attacked by a group of pirates aboard two speedboats. Vessel and crew reported safe. 22 Mar 18: Fishing Vessels Hijacked south of Lagos, Nigeria. Two fishing vessels were attacked by pirates aboard a speedboat at 06°01’N 003°12’E. Both vessels were hijacked and sailed into Benin waters before being released and sailing to Lagos. Two crew members were kidnapped. Nigerian Naval personnel are investigating the incident. 22 Mar 18: Vessel Boarded near Cotonou, Benin. An anchored merchant vessel at 06°15’N 002°30’E was boarded by eight pirates armed with firearms and bladed weapons. They ordered the crew to start the vessels main engine. When this failed, they remained aboard for 90 minutes to steal ship’s stores and crew possessions before escaping.

South East Asia – Maritime Security Incidents

24 Mar 18: Attempted Boarding in Caofeidian, China. Two robbers in a wooden boat attempted to board an anchored bulk carrier via ladder at 38°44’N 118°33’E. Crew members spotted the boarding and raised the alarm, causing the robbers to flee.

Indian Ocean HRA – Maritime Security Incidents

26 Mar 18: Houthi Rebel Missile Attack on Saudi Cities. Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched seven ballistic missiles against four Saudi cities; Riyadh, Jizan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait. There is conflicted reporting as to whether the missiles were successfully intercepted. At least one person was killed as a result of the attack. Maritime and naval activities in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea are likely to intensify following the attack, particularly seeking to interdict weapon shipments to the Houthi group.
Click link to Download PDF: Solace Global Maritime Security Snapshot – Week 12 A roundup of maritime security incidents – an easy to read format collating suspicious approaches, vessel attacks, boardings, hijacks and media reports. The week 12 Maritime Security Snapshot was compiled by Solace Global’s in-house intelligence team.