ReCaap April Piracy Report: Number and Significance Level of Incidents

A total of 14 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in April 2013, of which 13 were actual incidents and one was an attempted incident. Of the 14 incidents,
three were piracy incidents and 11 were armed robbery against ships.
Of the 13 actual incidents reported in April 2013, five were Category 2 (moderately significant) incidents, four were Category 3 (less significant) incidents and four were petty theft (minimum significant) incidents. Compared to April 2011 and April 2012, there has been an increase in the number of Category 2 incidents reported in April 2013. The number of Category 3 incidents  has been fairly consistent throughout the past four years (April of 2010-2013). However, the number of petty theft incidents reported in April 2013 has increased compared to April 2012. Notably, there was no Category 1 (very significant) incident reported in April 2013, the first time during the five-year reporting period (April of 2009-2013).
Category 2 Incidents
Of the four Category 2 incidents reported in April 2013, three incidents occurred at anchorages, and one occurred while the vessel was underway in the South China Sea. Two incidents occurred at anchorages in Indonesia and one incident in Malaysia. The incidents in Indonesia involved bulk carrier, Sher E Punjab at Adang Bay anchorage on 3 Apr 13 when six robbers armed with a gun and knives boarded the carrier; and crude oil tanker, Singapore Riverat Dumai inner anchorage on 19 Apr 13 when four robbers armed with knives boarded the tanker and held the AB crew at knife point.The incident in Malaysia involved a flat-top deck cargo barge, Eng Tou 266off Tanjung Ayam on 22 Apr 13. While at anchor, the crew from a neighbouring barge noticed an unknown tug boat came along and pulled Eng Tou 266away. The charterer had lodged a police report with the Malaysian Marine Police. The barge is still missing at this juncture. The ReCAAP ISC requests all vessels to look out for Eng Tou 266and report sightings of the barge to the nearest coastal State immediately, noting that Eng Tou 266could have been repainted and renamed.
The two Category 2 incidents occurred while the vessels were underway in the South China Sea were tanker, AD Phoenixwhen pirates armed with pistols and long knives boarded the vessel on 23 Apr 13; and the other incident involved a tug boat, Hub 21when 15 pirates armed with guns and long knives boarded the tug boat on 24 Apr 13. The crew was not injured in all five incidents.In April 2013, nine out of the 13 actual incidents occurred when the vessels were anchored and berthed. For the last two years (April of 2012-2013), the proportion of incidents involving vessels at anchor/ berth had been on an upward trend, 69% in April 2013 compared to 25% in April of 2009 and 46% in 2011. The increase in incidents at ports and anchorages warranted the need for heightening in vigilance by crew on watch duty when the vessels were anchored, or busy with other operations, and the authorities to increase enforcement and step up surveillance to check on activities carried out by small boats clustering in the vicinity of some ports and anchorages. Ship masters and crew are therefore advised to deploy anti-piracy watches and exercise vigilance; and report incidents of robbery onboard their vessels to the authorities immediately.
Location of Incidents
Half of the 14 incidents reported in April 2013 occurred in Indonesia (six actual and one attempted incidents). The other seven incidents occurred in the South China Sea (three incidents), Bangladesh, Malaysia, Straits of Malacca and Singapore, and Vietnam. Chart 3 shows the location of incidents reported in April 2013.
Conclusion
Five incidents were reported within a span of one week (22-29 Apr 13) in the South China Sea (involving asphalt tanker, AD Phoenixon 23 Apr 13, tug boat, Hub 21on 24 Apr 13 and product tanker, Nadiya Melisendeon 24 Apr 13), off Malaysia (involving flat-top deck cargo barge, Eng Tou 266on 22 Apr 13) and in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (involving flat-top deck cargo barge, Crest 2821on 29 Apr 13). The ReCAAP ISC has issued an Incident Alert to cautious Mariners to exercise vigilance and report all incidents to the coastal State and flag State immediately. Of concern were three Category 2 incidents which occurred when the vessels were at anchorages, among which, the flat-top deck cargo barge, Eng Tou 266remained missing at this juncture.Observations by the ReCAAP ISCThe number of incidents reported in April 2013 has increased compared to April 2012, although the number is lesser than that reported during the same month in 2010 and 2011. However, there is no room for complacency as the situation at some ports and anchorages warrants heightened vigilance by crew and tightened enforcement by authorities.As there has been an increase in the number of incidents at some ports and anchorages, it could be timely for the relevant authorities to review the port security measures under the ambit of ISPS code and for ship master to raise their ship security level when operating in the vicinity of known/reported cases.
www.recaap.org/Portals/0/docs/Reports/2013/ReCAAP ISC April 2013 Report.pdf
Source: ReCaap