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OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE

(U) WORLDWIDE: Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report
2 - 31 August 2016
31 August 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 and the shipping industry worldwide in the last 30 days. This report is produced primarily
to inform merchant mariners and naval forces.

2. (U) Summary
A. (U) UNITED STATES: On 30 August, a man from Brooklyn, New York City, New York, appeared in court on
charges of accessing a shipping companys data base and selling their information.
B. (U) NIGERIA: On 30 August, the newly formed Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate attacked an oil pipeline
in the Oteri area.
C. (U) AUSTRALIA: On 28 August, customs officials searching a cruise ship docked in Sydney Harbor found 210
pounds of cocaine.
D. (U) PERU: On 27 August, three robbers armed with guns boarded an anchored bulk carrier in Callao Anchorage.
E. (U) BANGLADESH: On 25 August, suspected pirates abducted a fisherman in the Meghna River at Manpura
Upazila in Bhola district.
F. (U) BANGLADESH: On 25 August, a gang of pirates kidnapped four fishermen in the Meghna River.
G. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 25 August, gunmen attacked a passenger boat near Claveria town on the island province
of Masbate.
H. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 24 August, customs officials in northern Mindanao impounded 5 shipping containers
containing trucks.
I. (U) GRENADA: On 17 August, robbers boarded a sailing yacht anchored in the Port Louis Marina.
J. (U) LIBYA: On 17 August, Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) reported that the offshore supply vessel
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BOURBON ARGOS was attacked 24 nm north of Libyan coast.

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

A. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Government of Japan convoy schedule for August and September 2016. To apply for
JMSDF escort, visit http://www.mlit.go.jp/en/maritime/maritime_fr2_000000.html, please contact directly the AntiPiracy 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 August and September 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: 1-203-346-7633. Email:
bluegun21@navy.mil.kr. (MSCHOA)
C. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Chinese Navy convoy schedule for August and September 2016. For further
information, please e-mail planavy@navy.mil.cn, or call Tel: 00870 773 120 807; or 441 221 894. (MSCHOA)
D. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Indian Navy convoy escort schedule for August and September 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 August and September 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.

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A. (U) NORTH AMERICA:

Figure 1. North America Piracy and

Maritime Crime
1. (U) UNITED STATES: On 30 August, a man from Brooklyn, New York City, New York, appeared in a New Jersey
court room, charged with accessing the computer database of a Bayonne, New Jersey shipping company and
selling sensitive information to the company's competitors. The charges indicate that he had disclosed information
about incomes, balances, prices, email addresses, phone numbers and contact names in the company.
(www.nj.com)

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B. (U) CENTRAL AMERICA - CARIBBEAN - SOUTH AMERICA:

Figure 2. Central America - Caribbean South America Piracy and Maritime Crime
1. (U) PERU: On 27 August, three robbers armed with guns boarded an anchored bulk carrier near position 12:01 S
- 077:10 W, Callao Anchorage. One crewman on routine rounds notified the bridge of the robbers presence before
being taken hostage at gunpoint. Alarm was raised, SSAS activated and the crew mustered on the bridge. Hearing
the alarm, the robbers escaped. Incident reported to the Callao port control and the coast guard sent a boarding
party to investigate. All crew safe. Nothing reported stolen. (IMB)
2. (U) GRENADA: On 17 August, robbers boarded a sailing yacht anchored in the Port Louis Marina. They stole a
bag containing personal effects and a large amount of cash. (www.noonsite.com)
3. (U) COSTA RICA: On 19 August, a dinghy and small outboard motor were stolen from a sailing vessel anchored
in Golfito Bay. (www.noonsite.com)
4. (U) TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: On 2 August, a white pirogue with 3 men onboard approached a sailing yacht,
sailing with two other yachts, 10 nm northeast of Boca Monos. The men in the pirogue spoke English and there
were no fishing nets or any fishing gear in the pirogue. The yacht captain called the nearest buddy boat to tell
them what was happening. The general attitude of the two men who spoke was aggressive and angry. The pirogue
pulled up alongside and tried to get as close to the yacht as feasible. Two men were standing and one tried to hold
on to the hull of the yacht but the sea state was too rough. The men in the pirogue had a conversation among
themselves and pulled away at high speed. (www.noonsite.com)
C. (U) ATLANTIC OCEAN AREA: No current incidents to report.
D. (U) NORTHERN EUROPE - BALTIC: No current incidents to report.

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E. (U) MEDITERRANEAN - BLACK SEA:

Figure 3. Mediterranean - Black Sea

Piracy and Maritime Crime
1. (U) LIBYA: On 17 August, Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) reported that Luxemburg-flagged tug supply vessel
BOURBON ARGOS was taking part in migrant rescue operations 24 nm north of Libyan coast when they were
"approached and attacked by a group of armed men onboard an unidentified speedboat. Subsequently, a Libyan
Navy spokesman claimed that Libyan forces had approached the BOURBON ARGOS after its crew refused to
identify themselves. The navy spokesman denied that Libyan forces had fired directly at the MSF boat or boarded
the vessel. (AFP; www.theguardian.com)
F.

(U) WEST AFRICA

Figure 4. West Africa Piracy and Maritime Crime

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1. (U) NIGERIA: On 30 August, the newly formed Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) group said in a
statement that they attacked a Nigerian Petroleum Development Company oil pipeline, near Oteri, in the southern
oil-producing Delta State. (AFP World Service)
2. (U) GUINEA: On 24 August, seven robbers armed with guns and knives boarded an anchored bulk carrier near
position 09:24 N - 013:43 W, 5.5 nm south of Conakry. Two crewmen were taken hostage and beaten. The robbers
escaped with crews cash and properties. Incident reported to the local agent. (IMB)
3. (U) NIGERIA: On 19 August, two fishermen were kidnapped from the Ibeno area of Akwa Ibom State. A large
ransom was reportedly made for their release. (www.thenationonlineng.net)
4. (U) NIGERIA: On 18 August, six fishermen were kidnapped from the Ibeno area of Akwa Ibom State. A large
ransom was reportedly made for their release. (www.thenationonlineng.net)
5. (U) NIGERIA: On 17 August, nine pirates armed with guns in a wooden speedboat boarded the underway
general cargo ship VECTIS OSPREY near position 03:54 N - 007:09 E, 28 nm south of Bonny. Alarm raised, SSAS
activated and all crew retreated to the citadel. The Nigerian Navy subsequently boarded the vessel for an
investigation. All crew are safe. (www.thenationonlineng.net; www.fleetmon.com; NGA)
6. (U) NIGERIA: On 13 August, two robbers in a boat boarded a berthed product tanker near position 06:26 N 003:22 E, Apapa, Lagos. Duty crewman on routine rounds noticed the robbers and informed the bridge officer who
raised the alarm and sounded the fog horn. Hearing the alarm, the robbers escaped in their boat. Crew mustered
and a thorough search of the ship was carried out. The ullage caps of No 1 port and starboard cargo oil tanks were
found open. Nothing reported stolen. (IMB)
7. (U) NIGERIA: On 10 August, a militant group blew up a crude oil trunk link near Warri. The group, Niger Delta
Greenland Justice Mandate, released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. (www.allafrica.com)
8. (U) NIGERIA: On 8 August, suspected militants attacked a Nigerian Army artillery unit at Nembe Pier, in
southern Bayelsa State. Three soldiers died during the attack. The militants were able to steal several military boats
as well as weapons and ammunition. (AFP World Service)
9. (U) CONGO: On 7 August, two robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier near position 04:44 S - 011:46 E,
Pointe Noire Outer Anchorage. The robbers broke into the bosun store room, which triggered an alarm on the
bridge. Duty officer raised the alarm and alerted the piracy watch crew members who started making their way
towards the bow of the ship. Seeing the alerted crew, the two robbers escaped with two accomplices waiting in the
boat. Upon investigation, nothing reported stolen. (IMB)
10. (U) NIGERIA: On 5 August, four robbers armed with long knives boarded a berthed product tanker near position
06:26 N - 003:25 E, Folawiyo Nispan Jetty, Apapa, Lagos. They took hostage the duty pump man and threatened
him with their knives. The robbers put two hoses into the forward tank dome and commenced stealing the cargo.
Once their boat was full, the robbers released the pump man and escaped. Alarm raised and a search was carried
out. (IMB)
G.

(U) ARABIAN GULF: No current incidents to report.

H.

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

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I.

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

Figure 5. East Asia - Southeast Asia - Indian

Subcontinent Piracy and Maritime Crime

Figure 6. East Asia - Southeast Asia - Indian

Subcontinent Piracy and Maritime Crime

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1. (U) BANGLADESH: On 25 August, suspected pirates abducted a fisherman in the Meghna River at Manpura
Upazila in Bhola district. Initially, the pirates opened fire at the fishermen who tried to resist them. Frightened, five
fishermen jumped into the Meghna River. The gang then looted fishing nets and fish along with the trawler and
abducted the fisherman. (www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com)
2. (U) BANGLADESH: On 25 August, a gang of pirates kidnapped four fishermen for not paying a toll in the
Meghna river adjacent to Char Abdullahpur in Ramgati upazila of Lakshmipur. When the fishermen refused to pay,
the bandits attacked them, injuring several of the fishermen. They then picked up four fishermen and fled the
scene. The kidnappers demanded a huge amount of money as ransom from the family members of the four
fishermen. (www.en.prothom-alo.com)
3. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 25 August, gunmen attacked the passenger boat MB PRINCESS AJ near Claveria town
on the island province of Masbate. The gunmen reportedly fired at the engine of the passenger boat, and instead
hit three passengers, severely injuring one of them. (Philippines News Agency)
4. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 24 August, customs officials in northern Mindanao impounded 5 shipping containers
containing trucks shipped from Japan and Korea. (www.mb.com.ph)
5. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 17 August, soldiers searching for Abu Sayyaf bandits and Indonesian kidnap victims found
one more of the captives who escaped in Luuk town, Sulu. A Western Mindanao Command spokesperson said the
kidnap victim identified himself as Ismail, chief officer of the tugboat CHARLES. (www.globalnation.inquirer.net)
6. (U) MALAYSIA: On 7 August, while en route from Singapore to Haiphong, the asphalt tanker AD MATSU was
boarded by five pirates armed with guns and knives near position 02:00 N - 104:52 E, 32 nm southeast of Pulau
Aur, Johor. The Master and chief officer were taken hostage and taken to the bridge. The remaining crew was
forced to muster in the crew mess room and was threatened at gun point. Master was forced to switch off the
Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System (BNWAS) and was ordered to slow down the tanker. The pirates then
took the Master to his cabin and stole ships cash and locked him in the mess room with other crew. The pirates
ransacked the crew cabins and escaped with crew cash and personal belongings. The Master and crew later
emerged from the mess room and activated the SSAS, informed their head office and made an announcement on
VHF channel 16 to alert other ships in the vicinity. Incident reported to local authorities. (IMB;
www.maritimeherald.com)
7. (U) INDONESIA: On 17 August, an Indonesian Government official revealed that two Indonesians, who were
held hostage in South Philippines, had been released. The release of the two Indonesians abducted by an armed
militant group in the Philippines is reportedly a gift for the country as it coincides with the 71st anniversary of
Indonesia's independence. The crewmen are two of the seven crew members of tugboat CHARLES. The boat was
hijacked by an armed group in the Sulu waters of the Philippines on 23 June. (www.antaranews.com/en)
8. (U) INDONESIA: On 11 August, an Indonesian tugboat crewman escaped from his Islamist militant captors in
the Philippines by swimming out to sea after the militants threatened to cut his head off. Members of the Islamic
State-linked Abu Sayyaf group captured the Indonesian, Mohammad Safyan, 28, and six other Indonesian seamen
from their boat, the tugboat CHARLES, as it was passing through waters off southern Philippine islands on 23
June. (www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com)
9. (U) VIETNAM: On 7 August, three robbers in a small boat boarded an anchored bulk carrier near position 10:15
N - 107:01 E, Vung Tau Anchorage. Duty crewman on routine rounds noticed the robbers and raised the alarm. All
crew mustered on the main deck. Hearing the alarm and seeing the crews alertness, the robbers escaped, in their
boat, with stolen ships stores. Port control informed. (IMB)
10. (U) MALAYSIA: On 3 August, unidentified gunmen reportedly kidnapped the captain of a fishing boat as it
operated northeast of Sabah state on Borneo Island. The kidnappers let the two crewmen go. No group has
claimed responsibility. (www.newsinfo.inquirer.net; www.thestar.com.my)
J.

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

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K.

(U) PACIFIC OCEAN - SOUTHERN OCEAN:

Figure 7. Pacific Ocean - Southern Ocean

Piracy and Maritime Crime
1. (U) AUSTRALIA: On 28 August, customs officials searching a cruise ship docked in Sydney Harbor found 210
pounds of cocaine, packed in suit cases, in one passenger cabin. Three passengers, all from Canada, were
subsequently arrested. (gCaptain)

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.
(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.

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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
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)
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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: 31 August 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

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