Maritime Incident Report: March 2023
Our monthly Maritime Incident Report: March 2023 covers maritime security and incidents throughout the Indian Ocean, the Black Sea, West Africa, South East Asia and South America for the period 01/03/23 – 31/03/23.
Executive Summary
• Vessel Hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea
• Vessel fired on in the Southern Red Sea
• More vessels boarded in Callao anchorage Peru
1. Regional Monthly Report: West Africa and Gulf of Guinea
Monthly Activity
On 30 March the MDAT – GoG released Warning 001/Mar/2023 Update 004, regarding the hijacked vessel MONJASA REFORMER. The update stated that the vessel has been located approximately 115 Nm to the South of Bonny, Nigeria. The Liberian flagged Product Tanker, Monjasa Reformer, was hijacked 140 Nm to the West of Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo on 25 March 2023. The vessel was believed to have been boarded by 5 armed men. The ship’s AIS was switched off and the location of the vessel was unclear until last night. The latest update states that the ship is safe but we understand that at least 6 of the crew have been abducted and their whereabouts are unknown. Our initial assessment is that the vessel was taken for its cargo but this has yet to be confirmed.
Maritime Incidents
The MDAT – GoG released a warning to shipping of an increased threat from piracy in the Gulf of Guinea within an area bordering the following coordinates (see map below):
• 023000N – 0050000E
• 023000N – 0073000E
• 050000N – 0073000E
• 050000N – 0050000E
This warning was cancelled on 01 April 2023
Maritime Incidents
1. Hijack/Abduction – 30 March 2023 2239 UTC: Psn 02 52N – 06 59E:
The hijacked vessel Monjasa Reformer was located 115 Nm south of Bonny Nigeria in the Gulf of Guinea. Reports indicated that three crew members have been abducted but the vessel was safe.
2. Boarding/Theft – 26 March 2023 0230 UTC: Psn 08 44 61S – 13 17 36E: Luanda Anchorage:
Angola robbers in a canoe approached and boarded an anchored tug. The crew noticed the robbers and informed the OOW who raised the alarm and the crew mustered resulting in the robbers escaping with the stolen ship’s property.
3. Vessel Boarded – 25 March 2023 2239 UTC: Psn 05 29 35S – 09 34 00E:
A vessel in position 05 29 35S – 009 34 00E (approximately 140NM West of Pointe Noire) was reported to have been boarded by 5 armed persons who approached the vessel from 1 skiff. The crew retreated to the citadel. The vessel was identified as the Liberian-flagged product tanker Monjaser Reformer.
2. Regional Monthly Report: Black Sea and Sea of Azov
Monthly Activity
The risk of collateral damage from drifting mines in the Northwest, West, and Southwest areas of the Black Sea is still current. Mines have been reported in several locations in the Black Sea, most recently near Odesa in Ukraine and along the Northern Turkish coastline. The operational status of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports is as follows:
•The Danube ports of Reni, Izmail and Ust-Dunaisk are open with some restrictions.
• Belgorod Dniestrovskiy is open with some restrictions.
• Odesa Port is open.
• Skadovsk port is closed.
• Chornomorsk is reported to be open. Grain export only.
• Pivdenny is closed.
• Yuzzhny Port is open.
• The port of Berdyansk is closed.
• Olbia (Mykolaiv) Port is closed. Cargo operations are suspended for commercial operations.
• Mariupol Port is closed. The city is controlled by Russian forces, and the port is reported by the Russian military to be operational but it remains closed according to Ukraine’s Maritime Administration.
• Kherson Port is closed. Cargo operations are suspended for commercial operations.
Maritime Incidents
No incidents to report.
3. Regional Monthly Report: Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean
Monthly Activity
A vessel was approached by two skiffs in the Indian Ocean, the report said there was also a larger vessel nearby, no further details were given regarding this event, but concerns will be raised that due to the recent removal of the HRA and the description of the craft, number of POB, and the assumed support vessel in the vicinity, this could be a pirate-related incident. There were, however, no reports of any pirate paraphernalia such as ladders or weapons being sighted. We assess, therefore, that due to the lack of a sustained approach, this is likely to be an encounter with local Pattern of Life (POL), most likely fishermen.
Maritime Incidents
1. Approach – 02 March 2023: Psn 12 12 24N – 60 19 26E: 300 Nm East of Socotra Island:
A Liberian-flagged Tanker owned by an Israeli shipping company was targeted in an apparent suicide drone attack. US sources said the attack on Campo Square is likely to have been perpetrated by Iranian military units. Eletson, the vessel operator, confirmed that the vessel was in a ballast transit when she was hit by an airborne object in the Arabian Sea, approximately 300 nautical miles off the coasts of India and Oman. Eletson confirmed that both the vessel and crew were safe but the vessel had received minor damage.
4. Regional Monthly Report: Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz
Monthly Activity
There were no maritime security incidents reported in this region during March.
Maritime Incidents
No Incidents to Report.
5. Regional Monthly Report: Yemen and Southern Red Sea
Monthly Activity
A Liberian-flagged Bulk Carrier was involved in an incident in the Southern Red Sea in the vicinity of the Hanish Islands which are contested by both sides in the Yemen Conflict. Both Houthi and Government Coastguard units operate in the area and the MV was likely involved in some sort of altercation with a maritime unit from one or other of the two combatants. It is also possible this incident could be linked to other criminal activity prevalent in the area, but this was not assessed to be a piracy-related event.
Maritime Incidents
1. Vessel Attacked – 17 March 2023: Psn 14 13 07N – 042 44 01E:
A vessel was fired on by an unidentified craft. The incident took place 30nm from the port of Hodeida in Yemen. The vessel reported that 4 to 5 bursts of automatic fire took place. The onboard Armed Security Team returned fire. The vessel and crew were reported to be safe.
6. Regional Monthly Report: South East Asia
Monthly Activity
There were a number of reports of boardings of vessels both at anchor and while underway throughout the region this month. See incident reports below.
Maritime Incidents
1. Boarding/Theft – 19 March 2023 1915 UTC: Psn 03 55 5N – 098 44 5E: Belawan Anchorage, Indonesia:
Two robbers boarded an anchored product tanker via the anchor chain and broke into the paint store. The crew spotted the robbers and raised the alarm resulting in the robbers escaping without stealing anything.
2. Boarding/Theft – 10 March 2023 2112 UTC: Psn 01 04 06N – 103 35 72E: Singapore Strait:
The crew onboard an underway bulk carrier spotted three perpetrators onboard the vessel and raised the alarm resulting in the perpetrators escaping without stealing anything. The incident was reported to local authorities.
3. Boarding/Theft – 12 March 2023 2050 UTC: Psn 14 35 8N -120 52 0E: Manila Anchorage, Philippines:
The crew on routine rounds onboard an anchored container ship noticed the forecastle store door was open and raised the alarm. The crew mustered and a search was carried out and the ship’s property was reported stolen.
7. Regional Monthly Report: South America and Caribbean
Monthly Activity
The was a rise in the number of maritime security incidents reported in this region. Of particular concern was the use of weapons and the violent nature of incidents at Callao anchorage, Peru.
Incidents:
1. Armed Robbery – 28 March 2023 0730 UTC: Psn 12 00 58S – 077 13 77W: Callao Anchorage, Peru:
Ten robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored bulk carrier. They took the crew hostage, stole their personal belongings and escaped with stolen stores. The incident was reported to the Port Authorities and the Coast Guard boarded the ship for investigations.
2. Boarding/Theft – 26 March 2023 2359 UTC: Psn 12 01 83S – 077 12 08W: Callao Anchorage, Peru:
Unauthorised persons boarded an anchored bulk carrier and attempted to steal the ship’s property. The crew on watch noticed the intruders and informed the bridge, which raised the alarm. The Port control was informed via VHF ch.16. On hearing the alarm and seeing the crew were alerted, the intruders escaped empty-handed.
3. Armed Boarding/Theft – 09 March 2023 0645 UTC: Psn 12 01 15S – 077 13 44W: Callao Anchorage, Peru:
Around fifteen robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored bulk carrier. They assaulted the crew and tied them up. The alarm was raised and the crew mustered. The robbers escaped with the ship’s property. The incident was reported to the Port Authorities and a patrol boat was dispatched to search the waters around the ship.
Global Outlook and Incident Summary 2022
The International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau (ICC IMB) annual report recorded 115 global incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2022, compared to 132 in 2021, with half of them occurring in Southeast Asian waters, particularly in the Singapore Straits, where incidents continue to rise.
In the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), piracy-related incidents dropped overall from 35 in 2021, to 19 in 2022. While maritime kidnappings in the GOG dropped from 57 in 2021 to just 2 in 2023, overall figures for all maritime crime events (including unarmed robbery and attempted robbery) fell from 52 to 32 overall. Interestingly, some of the cases of “pirated vessels” reported in 2022 are not following the usual modus operandi of pirate groups in the Gulf of Guinea as they turn to oil-related criminal activities such as theft, illegal refining and smuggling.
In East Africa, Somali piracy remains suppressed with no incidents recorded in 2022, the decline in piracy events in the region prompted the International Shipping Industry to remove the High-Risk Area (HRA) for Piracy in the Indian Ocean. It remains to be seen how this will affect the security of shipping in the area. The complex threats that have emerged over the last 5 years in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and Yemen continue to cause concern, with further Drone attack incidents taking place against ships in the Gulf of Oman and Eastern Yemeni oil terminals, last year. There has also been an increase in the number of aggressive approaches by military vessels against pleasure craft in the Southern Red Sea.
In the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, regional tensions continue with Iranian forces maintaining pressure on International Maritime Forces engaged in operations to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels. In SE Asia, boarding and robbery incidents in the Singapore Strait rose from 35 in 2021 to 38 in 2022, elsewhere in the region there was an overall drop in incidents compared with 2021. In the Black Sea, mines and military activity continue to pose a threat to commercial shipping.
Maritime crime incidents in the Americas and the Caribbean Arc reduced slightly from 131 in 2021 to 121 in 2022. Ports in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, plus Mexico and Haiti in the Caribbean, were all affected by incidents of boarding and robbery, most of these events were from vessels at anchor. Callao anchorage in Peru remains the hotspot for robbery at anchor with 12 reported incidents, although that is down slightly on 2021 figures.