Piracy crackdown bears its fruits

By
Mfame Team
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2322

IMB: Piracy Crackdown Reduces Attacks in South East Asia

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International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre(IMB PRC) has announced that piracy crackdown has reduced a reasonable number of attacks in the South East Asia.  The 2015 report for the year to 30 September has reported that the piracy crackdown has appeared to be bearing fruit.

Report:

  1. Only two hijackings were reported in the region among 47 hijackings reported globally in the third quarter of this year.  And the two hijackings were done on a small product tanker and a fishing vessel in Malacca Strait and west of Pulau Langkawi respectively.
  2. Indonesian and Malaysian authorities arrested and prosecuted members of product tanker hijacking gangs, notably in vessels like MT Orkim Harmony and MT Sun Birdie.
  3. The yearly report recorded a total of 190 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships with Indonesia reporting the maximum number of incidents amounting to 86 reports, followed by Vietnam with 19 reports.
  4. In toto, this year has witnessed
    1. 154 vessel boarded
    2. 21 attempted attacks
    3. 15 vessels hijacked
  5. Among the crew:
    1. A total of 266 people taken as hostages
    2. 14 assaulted
    3. 13 kidnapped
    4. 10 injured and
    5. one killed
  6. Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, Piracy hotspot, reported no piracy attacks this year.
  7. Only one new incident of an actual attack was reported for the last quarter in the Gulf of Guinea, but it is believed that the real number to be considerably higher.

IMB says, “the positive development reflects the combined efforts of navies in the region, along with greater compliance with the Best Management Practices guidelines against Somali piracy, the employment of private security contractors and a stabilizing government.”

However, the report urges vessels to maintain vigilance, ashore Somalia, with the threat of piracy not eliminated completely.

P Mukundan, IMB Director, quoted that – “The robust actions taken particularly by the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities – including the arrest of one the alleged masterminds – is precisely the type of deterrent required.”

Source: International Maritime Bureau