Pirates continue to strike in South East Asian waters: IMB

Pirates continue to strike in waters of South East Asia, the International Maritime Bureau said today while noting that there was an attack on small coastal tankers every two weeks.
Five small tankers were hijacked in the waters of South East Asia in the second quarter of 2015, bringing the total number of vessels hijacked globally to 13, the report said.
The IMB report said a significant increase in the number of incidents off Bangladesh and Chittagong in particular, with 10 reports in the second quarter of 2015 compared with only one in the first quarter.
The attacks related to armed robberies from vessels.

IMB, however, stressed that enhanced cooperation between regional authorities has helped and early detection of approaching skiffs resulted in attacks being aborted.
"Information sharing and coordinated action between concerned coastal states is crucial in responding to this threat," said IMB director Pottengal Mukundan.

"We commend the effort that caught one gang and also the hefty custodial sentences imposed on another which will help deter further incidents."
The report said a total of 134 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in the first six months of 2015; an increase on the 116 reports for the corresponding period in 2014.

Pirates managed to board 106 vessels and were responsible for 13 hijackings and 15 attempted attacks worldwide.
So far in 2015, 250 crew members have been taken hostage, 14 assaulted, 10 kidnapped, nine injured and one killed.
According to the latest data, more than a third of incidents reported to the PRC took place off the coast of Indonesia, the majority related to low-level, opportunistic thefts from vessels,.
Off Nigeria, 11 incidents were reported in the first half of 2015 though no incidents were reported in June.
However, 10 crew kidnappings in three separate events were reported in and around Nigerian waters.

IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre, based in Kuala Lumpur, monitors pirate attacks around the clock.