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OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE

(U) WORLDWIDE: Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report
2 February - 2 March 2016
3 March 2016

(U) Table of Contents

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

(U) Scope Note

(U) Summary
(U) Counter-Piracy and Maritime Crime Announcements and Advisories
(U) Details: Monthly Incidents by Region
(U) Appendix A: Further Contact Information and Resources
(U) Appendix B: Terminology and References

1. (U) Scope Note

(U) The Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) message provides info on piracy threats to, and criminal action
against, merchant vessels worldwide in the last 30 days. This report is produced primarily to inform merchant
mariners and naval forces.

2. (U) Summary
A. (U) MALAYSIA: On 29 February, Malaysian Marine Police units detained two ships on suspicion of fuel
smuggling 3.8 nautical miles from Kampung Punang.
B. (U) GREECE: On 28 February, authorities in the port of Souda searched the Togo-flagged cargo ship TRADER
and found weapons and ammunition in six shipping containers.
C. (U) UNITED STATES: On 16 February, authorities searched a nearly empty shipping container in Port
Everglades, Florida and found a burlap sack containing 154 pounds of cocaine.

3. (U) Counter-Piracy and Maritime Crime Announcements and Advisories

A. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Government of Japan convoy schedule for March 2016. To apply for JMSDF escort, visit
http://www.mlit.go.jp/en/maritime/maritime_fr2_000000.html, please contact directly the Anti-Piracy Contact and
Coordination Office, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MILT),
Japan: Tel: +81-3-5253-8932; Fax: +81-3-5253-1643. Email: INFO-PIRACY@mlit.go.jp. (MSCHOA)
B. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Korean Navy convoy schedule for March 2016. All merchant vessels wishing
to join the convoy group must submit their application forms directly to the ROK naval warship carrying out the
mission. The ROK MTG can be reached directly at INMARSAT: 00-870-773-110-438; Email:
pheonixguardian@navy.mil.kr. (MSCHOA)
C. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Chinese Navy convoy schedule for March 2016. For further information,
please e-mail planavy@navy.mil.cn, or call Tel: 00870 773 120 044; or 441 221 061. (MSCHOA)

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D. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Indian Navy convoy escort schedule for March 2016. To register, email
dgcommcentre-dgs@nic.in; or visit www.dgshipping.com. Telephone numbers for contact are: 91-2222614646 or fax at 91-22-22613636. (MSCHOA)
E. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Russian Navy convoy escort schedule for March 2016. For further
information e-mail smb@msecurity.ru; isps@msecurity.ru; or fax +7 (499) 642-83-29. (MSCHOA)

4. (U) Details: Monthly Incidents by Region

(U) This section lists reports of active violence against shipping, credible threats to shipping, or the potential for a
situation to develop into a direct threat to shipping over the last 30 days. Every effort is made to ensure that
incidents are not double-counted. In the event double-counting is detected, or an incident is later learned to be
different than initially reported, an explanation of the cancellation of the inaccurate report will be made in at least
one message prior to dropping the erroneous report.
A.

(U) NORTH AMERICA: No current incidents to report.

Figure 1. North America Piracy and Maritime Crime

1. (U) UNITED STATES: On 16 February, authorities searched a nearly empty shipping container in Port
Everglades, Florida and found a burlap sack containing 154 pounds of cocaine. The container had reportedly
recently arrived from Guayaquil, Ecuador. No arrests were made. (www.sun-sentinel.com.com; www.cbp.gov)
B.

(U) CENTRAL AMERICA - CARIBBEAN - SOUTH AMERICA:

1. (U) COLOMBIA: Colombian Navy personnel found 379 kilograms of cocaine in a container welded to the hull,
below the waterline, of the bulk carrier LENE SELMER while the vessel was in Puerto Bolivar. The device was
removed and the ship left port on 23 February. (www.fleetmon.com)
2. (U) MEXICO: On 19 February, officials in the port of Manzanillo found 438 kilograms of cocaine hidden in three
containers aboard the container ship TENO. (www.fleetmon.com)
3. (U) MEXICO: Between 6 and 12 February, police in the port of Progreso found cocaine hidden amongst the
cargo of frozen fish aboard the container ship SAN ADRIANO. Police began an investigation and believe that up to
3 tons of cocaine is hidden either in the packing ice or inside the frozen fish. (www.fleetmon.com)
4. (U) GUYANA: On 5 February, robbers boarded an anchored container ship near position 06:49 N - 058:10 W,
Georgetown Port Anchorage. Alert duty crewman spotted the robbers near the paint locker and raised the alarm.
Ships Master notified the Coast Guard and a boat was dispatched to investigate. Seeing the alerted crew and the
approaching Coast Guard boat, the robbers escaped with stolen ships stores. (IMB)
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5. (U) PERU: On 3 February, seven robbers in two speedboats came alongside an anchored product tanker near
position 12:00 S - 077:12 W, Callao Port Anchorage. Two robbers boarded the vessel but were spotted by the alert
crew resulting in the robbers escaping without stealing anything. (IMB)
C.

(U) ATLANTIC OCEAN AREA: No current incidents to report.

D. (U) NORTHERN EUROPE - BALTIC: No current incidents to report.

E.

(U) MEDITERRANEAN - BLACK SEA:

Figure 2. Mediterranean - Black Sea Piracy and Maritime Crime

1. (U) GREECE: On 28 February, authorities in the port of Souda searched the Togo-flagged cargo ship TRADER
and found weapons and ammunition in six shipping containers. The ship had recently arrived from Mersin, Turkey.
(www.fleetmon.com)
2. (U) LIBYA: On 13 February, the Libyan Coast Guard intercepted the Sierra Leone-flagged CAPTAIN KHAYYAM
and taken to Tripoli, on suspicion of smuggling diesel fuel. The ship reportedly left Marsaxlokk, Malta on 5
February. The crew of 12 includes Azerbaijan, Turkish and Ukrainian nationalities. (www.fleetmon.com)
F.

(U) WEST AFRICA:

1. (U) NIGERIA: On 23 February, BOURBON LIBERTY 251, a service vessel from French oil services company
Bourbon, was attacked off the coast of Nigeria and two crew members from Nigeria and Russia were reportedly
abducted. (www.af.reuters.com; www.news.odin.tc; www.bourbonoffshore.com)
2. (U) NIGERIA: Chemical tanker MAXIMUS was hijacked 11 February off Abijan, Ivory Coast. There were 18 crew
members from India, Pakistan, China, South Korea, Sudan and Ghana when the ship was boarded. The pirates
intended to sell the ships 4,700 tons of diesel fuel on the black market and had renamed the ship ELVIS 5. On 21
February, the Nigerian Navy boarded the ship and rescued the crew, however; two crew members are still missing,
one Pakistani and one Indian. (www.newsmaritime.com)
3. (U) NIGERIA: On 14 February, three small speed boats made a close-aboard approach to a ship at anchor in
Lagos Port. Several persons were in each boat and they were reportedly carrying siphon hoses. The ship raised
the alarm and mustered the crew. The robbers turned away and departed the area when the ship raised the alarm.
(MTISC-GOG)
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4. (U) NIGERIA: On 11 February, a vessel was boarded by up to 10 pirates near position 03:36 N - 005:37 E, 112
nm southwest of the Bonny River. The crew was able to retreat into the citadel and was reportedly safe during the
incident. (MTISC-GOG; www.hellenicshippingnews.com)
5. (U) DR CONGO: On 9 February, four robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored bulk carrier near position
05:52 S - 013:02 E, Boma Anchorage. Duty crewman on watch noticed the robbers and informed the Duty Officer
who in turn raised the alarm and mustered the crew. Hearing the alarm and seeing the crews alertness, the
robbers escaped with stolen ships stores. Attempts to contact port control received no response. (IMB; MTISCGOG)
6. (U) DROC: On 9 February, four robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored vessel near position 05:51 S 013:03 E, Boma Anchorage. The alarm was sounded at which point they fled using a small boat. On investigation,
a fire hose and several fire hose nozzles were stolen, no crew were harmed. (MTISC-GOG)
7. (U) NIGERIA: On 5 February, seven persons wearing dark boiler suits with red caps in a speed boat chased and
attempted to board an underway LNG tanker near position 04:09 N - 006:58 E, 16 nm southwest of Bonny Island.
Alarm was raised, fire hoses activated, Master increased speed to maximum and made evasive maneuvers. When
the speed boat closed to within 10 meters, automatic weapons and a ladder were sighted by crewmen. Due to the
hardening measures taken by the ships Master, the robbers aborted the approach and moved away.
(IMB; MTISC-GOG)
8. (U) NIGERIA: On 5 February, 6 robbers boarded the Singapore-flagged container carrier SAFMARINE KURAMO
near position 04:02 N - 006:54 E, 60 nm south west of Bonny River. A Nigeria Navy ship responded to the boarding
and the robbers left the ship. (MTISC-GOG; www.marinelink.com; www.dailytrust.info)
9. (U) GHANA: On 5 February, police in the port of Tema arrested eight Ghanaian citizens who had stowed away in
two shipping containers in an effort to get to Europe. (www.dailytrust.info)
G.

(U) ARABIAN GULF:

1. (U) KUWAIT: On 3 February, a Kuwait-flagged fishing boat was attacked in international waters near Kuwait. The
four attackers were believed to be Iranian. The Egyptian fishermen were able to overpower their attackers,
reportedly throwing three of them into the sea and tying up the fourth and returning to port to turn him over to
authorities. One of the fishermen lost a finger during the attack, as the attackers used long knives.
(www.gulfnews.com)
H.

(U) INDIAN OCEAN - EAST AFRICA: No current incidents to report.

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I.

(U) EAST ASIA - SOUTHEAST ASIA - INDIAN SUBCONTINENT:

Figure 3. East Asia - Southeast Asia - Indian Subcontinent

Piracy and Maritime Crime
1. (U) MALAYSIA: On 29 February, Malaysian Marine Police units detained two ships on suspicion of fuel
smuggling. The incident occurred 3.8 nautical miles from Kampung Punang and involved the tankers ATHENA and
MEIWA MARU. The ships were carrying 800,000 liters of subsidized diesel fuel but had no documentation for the
cargo. Both ships were escorted to Labuan and handed over to authorities for further investigation.
(www.theborneopost.com)
2. (U) THAILAND: On 22 February, police in southern Thailand detained a modified fishing boat in the waters off
Pattani, and seized more than 70,000 liters of diesel believed to have been smuggled from Malaysia. Marine Police
inspected the boat and detained four of its crew, comprising two Thai nationals, one Cambodian and one Laotian. A
spokesman said that the boat had been modified and was paid to smuggle diesel from Malaysia to Thailand. It was
originally carrying 120,000 liters of diesel, but part of it had been sold in the open seas. (www.bernama.com.my)
3. (U) INDIA: On 19 February, robbers in four fishing vessels boarded a rig towed by a tug near position 21:14 N 072:16 E, 11 nm south-southeast of Alang. The tugs crew noticed the robbers stealing the rigs properties. A short
time later, another two fishing vessels came alongside the rig. The tug raised the alarm, sounded five short blasts,
crew was mustered and local police were informed. (IMB)
4. (U) BANGLADESH: On 19 February, pirates killed a fisherman, wounded four others and kidnapped one from
the Kachikhali Balesshar area. The pirates also looted the fish cargo, fishing nets, cash, mobile phone sets and
other valuables from the fishermen. (www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com)

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5. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 17 February, unidentified gunmen abducted a fishing boat operator and two crewmembers
in the southern Philippines, according to police reports. A police spokesman said in a statement that the vessel had
been commandeered while fishing in the seas between the Zamboanga peninsula and the island province of
Basilan. Reportedly, the kidnappers had demanded a ransom for their return. (www.turkishweekly.net) UPDATE:
On 18 February, kidnappers freed the two crewmen, Romeo Rubio, 52, and Wenie Pandiag, 41, after learning that
their families could not afford to pay ransom. The kidnappers also gave them money for their fare to get home. The
boat captain is still being held. (www.philstar.com)
6. (U) INDIA: On 14 February, four robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier using a grappling hook and rope near
position 22:46 N - 070:00 E, vicinity of Tuna Buoy Anchorage Kandla. Duty crewmember on routine rounds noticed
the robbers trying to break open a store room padlock. He immediately informed the bridge. Alarm raised, PA
announcement made and crew was mustered. Upon hearing the alarm and seeing the crews alertness, the
robbers escaped empty-handed. Kandla Tower informed. (IMB)
7. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 14 February, an unknown number of robbers boarded an anchored product tanker near
position 13:43 N - 121:02 E, Batangas Anchorage. The Duty Officer was preparing the tanker for berthing
operations and noticed grappling hook marks on the deck. Security checks made throughout the ship, with ships
properties reportedly stolen. Local authorities were informed through agents. (IMB)
8. (U) THAILAND: On 11 February, four crewmen on a small, open police patrol boat were thrown into the sea
when a vessel suspected of smuggling contraband refused to stop for a search and rammed them off Muang
district. The patrol team, in an open outboard-powered army boat, spotted the vessel at the Pak Ao canal and
signaled it to stop for a search. The smugglers instead turned and rammed into the patrol boat, throwing all four
crewmen into the water. The smugglers sped off and the four crewmen, with only minor injuries, managed to get
their damaged boat back to the shore. (www.bangkokpost.com)
9. (U) INDONESIA: On 10 February, the Indonesian Navy raided a Malaysia-flagged boat engaged in illegal
fishing activities in Tanjung Balai waters in North Sumatra. One Myanmar fisherman was killed in the raid while
three boat crew members were arrested. A spokesman said the Myanmar fishermen initially refused to surrender
and instead tried to crash their boat, which was carrying 2 tons of fish, into the Navys patrol ship. After their
warning shots were ignored, Navy patrol pointed their guns to the boat and started shooting. The fishing boat gave
up to the police after those shots were fired. (www.merdeka.com)
10. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 9 February, three people, including two children, were killed by suspected pirates in an
attack offshore of the province of Zamboanga Sibugay. A regional police spokesman said the incident took place
around 4:20 p.m. offshore Barangay Kulisap, Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay. The spokesmen identified the victims as
Ronald Gorgonio, a fisherman, and his two sons, Philip Clyde, 12, and Reymart, nine-years old. They died on the
spot. Investigation showed the victims were on the way home from a fishing venture when the pirates repeatedly
shot them. (www.sunstar.com)
J.

(U) NORTHEAST ASIA: No current incidents to report.

K.

(U) PACIFIC OCEAN - SOUTHERN OCEAN: No current incidents to report.

5. (U) Appendix A: Further Contact Information and Resources

(U) This appendix provides contact information for the author of the WTS as well as other entities that can be
contacted with maritime crime reports. It also lists other resources where the WTS is posted and where piracy and
maritime crime incident information can be found.
(U) Contact
(U) Originator of this WTS report requests consumer feedback. Originator will incorporate all anti-shipping events
and violence against the maritime industry into this weekly message where appropriate. To aid in our reporting,
please add the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) to your normal corporate and organizational reporting
requirements. The 24-hour watch can be reached at +1 (301) 669-4053.

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(U) Other Resources
(U) This Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report is posted at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agencys Maritime
Safety site: http://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) also publishes a live
piracy report based on reporting from the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, listing all piracy
and armed robbery incidents in the last ten days: http://www.icc-ccs.org/. The PAWW and WTS Reports are posted
weekly on the ONI Intel Portal: http://www.oni.navy.mil/Intelligence_Community/piracy.htm.

6. (U) Appendix B: Terminology and References

(U) This appendix is provided to promote consistent use of accurate terms of reference in reporting and also
identifies those references that were used to gather the information contained in this report. ONI welcomes
comment and suggestions for addition or amendment.
(U) Terminology
(U) In order to promote consistent use of accurate terms of reference, the following have been adopted to describe
the range of criminal anti-shipping activity and impediments to safe navigation in our worldwide reporting and
analysis. Please note that these terms relate to observable activity and are independent of target vessel status and
exclude actions by governmental powers in lawful pursuit of their authorities:

(U) Attempted Boarding Close approach or hull-to-hull contact with report that boarding paraphernalia were
employed or visible in the approaching boat.

(U) Blocking Hampering safe navigation, docking, or undocking of a vessel as a means of protest.

(U) Boarding Unauthorized boarding of a vessel by persons not part of its complement without successfully
taking control of the vessel.

(U) Firing Upon Weapons discharged at or toward a vessel.

(U) Hijacking Unauthorized seizure and retention of a vessel by persons not part of its complement.

(U) Kidnapping Unauthorized forcible removal of persons belonging to the vessel from it.

(U) Robbery Theft from a vessel or from persons aboard the vessel.

(U) Suspicious Approach All other unexplained close proximity of an unknown vessel.

(U) Sourcing
(U) ONI derives information in this report from direct reporting and analysis of reports from the following agencies
and commercial sources.

Agence France Presse (AFP)

Associated Press (AP)
Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), Denmark
BBC News
EU Naval Forces (EU)
Fairplay (FP), London
Informa Group (INFO), formerly LLP, Llp Limited, London
International Maritime Bureau (IMB), London and Kuala Lumpur
International Maritime Organization (IMO), London
gCaptain
Latitude38.com (LAT) website
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Lloyd's List (LL), daily, London

Local Media (LM)
LSS-SAPU.com (LSS)
Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S.
The Maritime Executive (website)
Maritime Security Centre - Horn of Africa (MSCHOA)
Maritime Security Council (MSC), U.S.
Maritime Trade Information Sharing Centre - Gulf of Guinea (MTISC-GoG)
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Navigation Safety System
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Brussels
Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) (analysis and comment)
Operator (owner or operator of affected vessel)
Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia,
Information Sharing Center (ReCAAP ISC)
Reuters
Royal Australian Navy (RAN)
Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN)
Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP), Kenya
Tradewinds (TW)
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO)
United Press International (UPI)
U.S. Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO) Bahrain
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

(U) ICOD: 2 March 2016

(U) The PAWW and WTS Reports are posted each week on the ONI Intel Portal and can be found at:
http://www.oni.navy.mil/Intelligence_Community/piracy.htm

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