HeadlinesNews IMB Report: Crew Kidnappings in 2018 Occurred in Gulf of Guinea By maritimemag July 27, 2018 ShareTweet 0 HMS Montrose, who is part of NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield off the Horn of Africa, prevented a gang of suspected pirates from prowling in to the Indian Ocean to attack merchant ships. A pirate gang consisting of ten men was seen acting suspiciously near to a known pirate camp off the coast of Somalia. Their boat, loaded with ladders and fuel drums was towing two other smaller vessels that have been traditionally used for pirate attacks against ships HMS Montrose launched her Lynx helicopter and a boat of Royal Marines and Sailors to investigate. Once the suspected pirates spotted the helicopter and boarding team, four of the suspected pirates took one of the smaller boats and tried to head for the shore. The six remaining men stopped in the water and when the Lynx helicopter hovered overhead they attempted to discard the pirate ladders overboard. After the navy boarding team confiscated all the pirate gear, thus ensuring that the gang could no longer pose a threat to merchantmen, they were transferred to the remaining skiff. Speaking about the incident, Commander Jonathen Lett said “Today’s disruption of a pirate gang in the Somali Basin by a NATO warship was very rewarding. Our actions prevented suspected pirates from heading out to sea to prey on innocent merchantmen. HMS Montrose continues to help keep the seas safe”. The NATO Task Force patrols the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin as part of the international effort to counter the scourge of piracy. Despite the vastness of the ocean, counter piracy forces, such as NATO, the Combined Maritime Forces, the EU Naval Force and other independent maritime forces continue to successfully disrupt pirate activity and help safeguard merchant traffic. BABATUNDE SCOTT | The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has said in its second quarterly report that the number of crew members taken hostage increased from 63 in the first half of 2017 to 102 in the first half of 2018. The report stated that all 2018 crew kidnappings have so far taken place in the Gulf of Guinea in six separate incidents. A total of 107 incidents were reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) during the six-month period. In total, 69 vessels were boarded, with 23 attempted attacks, 11 vessels fired upon and four vessels hijacked. No vessels were reported as hijacked in the second quarter. The number of crew kidnappings decreased from 41 by the second quarter in 2017 to 25 so far in 2018. However, all 25 crew kidnappings reported this year have occurred over six incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting the higher risks in this area. Moreover, the true number of incidents in the Gulf of Guinea is believed to be “significantly higher” than what is reported to the IMB PRC, says the report. “The 2018 figures aptly demonstrate the value of timely and transparent reporting. The reports help to focus on risk areas, and to accurately inform vessels of evolving dangers and allow authorities to deliver an effective response,” Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB, said. Outside the Gulf of Guinea, the number of 2018 incidents decreased in other piracy hotspots. There were no reported incidents recorded off the coast of Somalia in the second quarter of 2018. The number of incidents in the Philippines dropped from 13 by the second quarter of 2017 to three in the same time period this year. © 2018, maritimemag. All rights reserved.
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