IMB Maritime Crime Reports Armed Robberies And Crimes In Indonesian Waters in 2019

IMB Maritime Crime Reports Armed Robberies And Crimes In Indonesian Waters

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) worldwide 24-hour Piracy Reporting Center (PRC) reports about the maritime crime that indicates a spike of incidents in Indonesian waters. The reports suggest a recent wave in attempted armed robbery and other attacks although there has been concerted action by marine police and maritime authorities in the South East Asian region to combat piracy and robbery.

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Recent incidents worldwide reported to the IMB PRC include the following.

• On July 30, six robbers armed with knives boarded a chemical tanker around five nautical miles off Tanjung Priok, Indonesia. They injured the chief engineer. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered, and the robbers escaped empty-handed.
• On July 30, two robbers boarded a bulk carrier anchored at Belawan, Indonesia. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered, and the robbers escaped empty-handed.
• On July 29, three robbers armed with metal sticks boarded a containership berthed at Lagos, Nigeria. They attacked and injured the duty crew member. They stole his personal belongings and escaped.
• On July 29, armed robbers boarded a bulk carrier anchored at Monrovia Roads, Liberia, stole ship’s property and escaped.
• On July 27, four armed robbers boarded a tanker berthed at Lubuk Guang, Indonesia. The alarm was raised and the robbers escaped.
• On July 26, an unauthorized person with a hose was spotted jumping overboard from a vessel anchored at Lagos, Nigeria. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered, and investigations indicated an attempt to steal cargo. A navy patrol boat searched the surrounding waters.
• On July 25, an unauthorized person was spotted throwing items over the side of a cargo ship anchored at Lotus Port, Pu My Bridge, Vietnam. The alarm was raised and the robber escaped.
• On July 22, four robbers boarded an offshore tug berthed at Batam, Indonesia. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered. Ship’s property was reported stolen. The following day, a suspicious boat with two people, one of them armed, came alongside the tug. The crew raised the alarm and the boat moved away.
• On July 21, seven pirates armed with a pistol and knives boarded a bulk carrier around 16 nautical miles off Pulau Damar, Indonesia. They took the master and second officer hostage, tied up and assaulted them, and stole cash and crew personal belongings before they escaped.

Reference: itfseafarers.org