INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE AFPN 6504 103 Tanah Merah Coast Road, #02-01 Singapore 498750 Tel : +65 9626 8965 (Mobile) +65 6594 5728 (Office) Fax : +65 6594 5734 IFC_DO@defence.gov.sg www.infofusioncentre.gov.sg 20 Nov 14 INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE MARSEC WEEKLY REPORT 11 Nov 17 Nov 14 For the period from 11 to 17 Nov 14, IFC received information on the following: Events Categories Number of Incidents Registered* Contraband Trafficking 4 Irregular Human Migration 2 Irregular, Unlawful, & Unregulated Fishing 2 Maritime Incidents 4 Natural Events 1 Piracy / Sea Robbery / Sea Theft 9 Weapon Trafficking 0 Maritime Terrorism 0 * 3 Contraband Trafficking, 2 Irregular, Unlawful, & Unregulated Fishing, 1 Irregular Human Migration, 3 Piracy/Sea Robbery/Sea Theft, 2 Maritime incidents occurred out of the period of 11 to 17 Nov 14. Legend Contraband Trafficking Irregular Human Migration Irregular, Unlawful & Unregulated Fishing Maritime Incidents Natural Events Piracy / Sea Robbery / Sea Theft (Actual/ Attempted) Weapons Trafficking Maritime Terrorism Figure 1: Location of Incidents 1
13 Nov 14 Diesel Smuggling / Pasir Gudang / Malaysia Details: 2 company directors and a ship captain were charged in court for smuggling 190,857 litres of subsidised diesel. This is the second major court case in 2 weeks involving diesel smuggling. The company which offers bunkering services in Pasir Gudang, was charged with storing the fuel without permission on board a vessel. Comments: All three pleaded not guilty to the charges and proceeding is on-going. 7 Nov 14 Mineral Smuggling / Tanjung Priok, Jakarta / Indonesia Details: On 7 Nov 14, the customs office of Tanjung Priok successfully thwarted an attempted mineral smuggling to China and Malaysia. The authorities stated that they found 37 20-feet containers loaded with OVERVIEW OF INCIDENTS Contraband Smuggling Irregular Human Migration various kinds of minerals. 8 Nov 14 Fertiliser Smuggling / Chittagong / Bangladesh Details: 5 workers involved in smuggling of 2000 sacks of fertilisers on board a lighter vessel attacked their master when he tried to prevent them from the illegal activities. 3 were injured during the clash. Incident is under investigation by the local authorities. 10 Nov 14 Diesel Smuggling / Krokop, Sarawak / East Malaysia Details: 63,100 litres of subsidised diesel were confiscated during an ambush by Malaysian Authorities at a jetty off Krokop. The team found the fuel stored in several tanks, which appeared to have been modified, inside 2 fishing boats. Comments: The boat s owner was believed to be selling the subsidized fuel to the merchant vessel illegally. 12 Nov 14 86 Illegal Immigrants Detained / Phang Nga / Thailand Detail: A group of 86 Rohingya refugees were taken into custody by police, north of Phuket. The refugees were detained in a rubber plantation in Kuraburi, Phang Nga province after police were informed by local residents that a large group of Rohingya were hiding in the plantation. The authority believed that this is the second group of refugees that was brought into the country by human traffickers in large fishing boat and were ordered to wait in the plantation until third party smuggled them into Malaysia. From the investigation, police discovered that a Thai human-trafficking gang had been involved in smuggling them into the country. 8 Nov 14 259 Detained for Illegal Human Migration / North of Phuket / Thailand Details: More than 200 Rohingya refugees have been detained in Thailand after they were intercepted en route to Malaysia. Thai police arrested 259 people on an island off the southern province of Ranong on 8 Nov 14. 2
12 Nov 14 Suspicious Approach / South China Sea Detail: On 120215LT Nov 14, while underway, a tanker was approached by one small boat at position 02 7.13N 105 20E. The vessel sounded the general alarm and all crew mustered at the bridge. The vessel directed her search light towards the boat. Seeing the crew alertness, the vessel moved away from the vessel. 13 Nov 14 Attempted Sea Theft / Waters off Tanjung Piai/ Malaysia Details: On 130510LT Nov 14, the engine room crew on board an anchored tanker noticed 2 perpetrators in the steering gear room at position 01 14N 103 28E. OOW was informed and alarm was raised. Crew mustered and a search was initiated. No perpetrator was found on board after the search. Nothing was reported stolen. Comments: Shippers are advised to maintain proper lookout when transiting in this area. 14 Nov 14 Sea Robbery / Batam Anchorage / Indonesia Details: On 140430LT Nov 14, 2 perpetrators boarded a hopper barge while she was at Batam anchorage at position 01 09.5N 103 56.7E. The duty crew sighted the perpetrators and raised the alarm. Seeing the crew alertness, the perpetrators jumped overboard and escaped with ship properties. Local authorities were informed. Comments: it was observed that the perpetrators were targeting spare parts, ship s stores or crew belongings. Shippers are advised to maintain a proper lookout when transiting in this area. 16 Nov 14 Attempted Sea Theft / Philip Channel / Indonesia Details: On 160528LT Nov 14, 5 perpetrators went on board a product Piracy/ Sea Robbery/ Sea Theft 3 tanker at position 01 07.8N 103 31.3E. Upon sighting of the perpetrators, the master reported the incident to local authorities and raised the alarm. This alarmed the perpetrators who fled empty handed. All crew were safe. Comments: Shippers are advised to maintain a proper lookout when transiting in this area. 17 Nov 14 Sea Robbery / Waters off Tanjung Piai / Malaysia Details: On 170400LT Nov 14, a tug boat, towing a barge from Sarawak to Penang was boarded by 8 perpetrators while underway at position 01 16.3N 103 26.6E. The perpetrators took away hand phone and cash. Before leaving the vessel, they pushed a crew overboard. Information was relayed to authorities and a search was conducted for the missing crew. Comments: A search by the local authority was conducted and no body was found. 17 Nov 14 Sea Theft / Waters off Karimun Island / Indonesia Details: On 170255LT Nov 14, a sea theft was reported on board a tug boat at position: 01 05.5N 103 32.7E. 7 perpetrators boarded and left. Money and hand phone reported taken. Authorities were informed. Comments: Considering the modus operandi, both incidents reported on 17 Nov 14 were probably carried out by the same group of perpetrators. 7 Nov 14 Sea Robbery / Batu Ampar / Indonesia Details: On 070550LT Nov 14, a tug was boarded while underway close to Batu Berhenti, at position 01 11.1N 103
52.8E. The perpetrators approached the vessel via a speedboat and boarded her from the aft port side. The perpetrators tied up the crew including the Master and then ransacked the cabins and took away the crew's personal belongings. Before they left, one of the perpetrators destroyed the vessel's VHF radio. There were a total of 6 perpetrators. 5 of them boarded the tug boat while the last one remained on the speedboat, presumably acted as a look-out. 8 Nov 14 Sea Robbery / Muara Berau Anchorage, Samarinda / Indonesia Details: On 082345LT Nov 14, five perpetrators boarded an anchored bulk carrier during the cargo operations. The incident took place at position 00 17S - 117 36E. They tied 2 duty crew and broke into the forecastle store. They stole ship's properties, stores and belongings of the duty crew members and escaped. 8 Nov 14 Attempted Boarding / Northeast of Bintan / Indonesia Details: On 080300LT Nov 14, the duty watchman on board a chemical products tanker saw three perpetrators on the poop deck at position 01 28N 104 38E of whom one was armed with a long knife. He informed the duty officer who raised the alarm. A search was conducted and it found that the perpetrators had escaped and nothing was reported stolen Maritime Incident 12 Nov 14 Sick Crew member rescued / Waters of Khanh Hoa / Vietnam Details: A Chief Engineer on board a vessel transiting from Thailand to Hong Kong, suffered a severe life threatening abdominal pain and he was evacuated by helicopter to Khanh Ho, Vietnam. 13 Nov 14 Sunk Vessel / Waters of Antique / Philippines Details: MV Vital was reportedly underway from Carmen, Cebu to Cuyo, Palawan to transport its cargo of cement, sank under rough seas. The captain and a crane operator were reported missing while the rest of the crew were successfully rescued by a passing fishing boat. 5 Nov 14 Stranded fishermen Rescued / San Juan de Buenavista / Philippines Details: 2 stranded fishermen were rescued by the coastguard after their motor boat encountered engine trouble. 10 Nov 14 Fishermen rescued / Waters of Balambangan Island / East Malaysia Details: 2 local fishermen on a missing boat were rescued by authorities near Pulau Kalutan Balambangan Island. The boat which suffered engine failure was reported missing for at least three days. Crew was eventually found weak but safe. 4
Irregular, Unlawful & Unreported Fishing hawksbill turtle, and live lobsters. Some dynamite was also found on board. 5 Nov 14 Fishermen Arrested / Waters off Palau / Philippines Details: 3 Vietnamese boats with 38 crew were detained by the local authorities while fishing illegally in waters off Palau. The boats were carrying sea cucumbers, 9 Nov 14 Fishermen Arrested / Waters off Mabuhay / Philippines Details: 4 Fishermen were detained for illegal fishing by Authorities after they were caught on board a motorized pump boat by a joint seaborne patrol off the waters of Mabuhay. 15 Nov 14 Earthquake / Indonesia Natural Events Details: A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 was recorded off the Moluccas in Indonesia and a tsunami warning was issued for the area near the quake (less than 300km). The quake was measured at a depth of 47 km (34 miles), with the epicenter 134 km (83 miles) northwest of Ternate. IFC Advises: Recommendations 1. All mariners to report any incidents timely to the nearest coastal state and IFC at the earliest possible time. 2. Ships moving at slow speed or choosing to remain at anchor in areas where sea robbery/theft is regularly reported to be vigilant and to adopt necessary security measures. 3. All mariners to take note on the description of the perpetrators and to take photos of the perpetrators if possible. 4. Shippers and Seafarers operating in Sulu Sea and in vicinity of Philips Channel and East Sabah Waters are strongly recommended to be vigilant and to establish contact with both Malaysian and Philippines Authorities to report their presence. 5. Shippers are advised to take note that al-qaeda, in its recently launched English language online magazine Resurgence, has called for the disruption of global trade and shipping through acts of piracy, among other tactics. Shippers are therefore advised to exercise vigilance and to adopt self-defensive measures as stated in BMP4, especially when transiting narrow choke points and known sea robbery/piracy hot spots. Note: Shippers should remain vigilant especially in areas where the threat level is assessed to be above one in accordance with the IFC Spot Commentary 1/14 and IFC quarterly assessment report. Ships should apply the appropriate security measures (such as BMP4 or Tugs and Barge Guide). Ship masters should also be aware and refer 5
to the Maritime Security Charts Q6112 and Q6113, both published by the UK Hydrographic Office. CONTACT In case of any doubt, incident at sea, suspicious approach or unusual observed activity at sea, please contact IFC: IFC Duty Officer: Email : Tel : IFC_DO@defence.gov.sg or ifc_do@infofusioncentre.gov.sg +65 9626 8965 (Mobile) +65 6594 5728 (Office) Fax : +65 6594 5734 The IFC seeks your observations in the course of your normal business. The IFC would like to remind mariners to be mindful of national and international laws, company and other policy requirements and also health and safety obligations, whilst recording these observations. The reporting of such events to IFC does not absolve you of your obligations towards coastal/ port/ flag authorities. 6