Exciting Week

[Coastie04]

I generally make a habit to check out the weekly updates on pirate attacks throughout the world on the ICC website (http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php). Last week had some rather interesting pirate attacks, as follows:

05.05.2006 at 0345 LT at Chittagong anchorage B, Bangladesh.

Two unlit boats approached a container ship. One boat with 10 persons armed with long knives came close and one robber boarded using grappling hook. Alert crew raised alarm and the robber escaped.

04.05.2006 at 0120 LT in posn 01:23.5N - 104:27.0E, off Horsburgh lighthouse, Singapore straits.

A speedboat with five pirates on board fired upon a bulk carrier underway. D/O raised alarm; crew mustered, switched on deck lights and secured doors. Four heavily armed pirates boarded, broke open bridge door and tied up the crew and threatened to kill them. Pirates stole ship’s cash, equipment and valuables and cash from crew and escaped.

02.05.2006 at 1030 LT in position 09:13.1N - 014:06.2W, off Conakry,  Guinea.

A chemical tanker drifting 25 nm off the port received a VHF call by someone claiming to be from Conakry port. Caller asked the ship to rig the pilot ladder as the pilot was on the way. Soon after D/O noticed a grey boat with five persons being launched by a mother fishing vessel nearby. Persons in the boat were armed with automatic weapons and wore life jackets. They pretended to be officials and demanded pilot ladder to be lowered. As the ship was not expecting to berth until following day, master raised alarm and crew activated fire hoses. After following  for some time boat returned to the mother ship. Master reported the incident to port authorities.

01.05.2006 at 1140 UTC in position: 03:13N - 108:45E, Kumpulan Natuna islands, Indonesia.

Persons in several unlit boats followed a tanker underway and came close to her stern. Crew mustered, switched on deck lights and activated fire hoses. Boats aborted chase and moved away.

28.04.2006 around noon at Islas de Piritu anchorage, off Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela.

Five armed robbers boarded a sailing yacht and shot the only sailor onboard. He was injured in his stomach but escaped in a dinghy. He was operated in a hospital and one of his kidneys needed removal.

27.04.2006, off Barawe, sw of Mogadishu, Somalia.

Pirates hijacked a UAE flagged ship underway. They took hostage all crewmembers and forced her to sail to Harardhere. Pirates shot dead one crewmember and two others were seriously injured. The ship was released after a ransom was paid.

22.04.2006 en route from Belawan port to Batu Licin, Banjarmasin, Indonesia

A tug towing an empty barge departed Belawan on 13.04.2006. Last known position on 22.04.2006 was 02:07S - 108:47E. The tug/barge and 12 crewmembers are still missing and they are believed to be hijacked.

I especially thought the one on the sailing yacht was interesting. Won't he have a story to tell!

Coastie

[Calico James Flint]

what would they want with an empty barge?!?!?!?!

[Story]

Office of Naval Intelligence open source compilations of pirate attacks can be found at http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/?e...ec24fd73927a759

They update once a week, the latest (10 May) can be found at

http://www.nga.mil/MSISiteContent/StaticFi...60510100000.txt

An empty barge can simply be renumbered and sold to someone else, it's low profile and has some cash value.

[The Doctor]

An empty barge can simply be renumbered and sold to someone else, it's low profile and has some cash value.

Not to mention that they make nifty floating weapons platforms.