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Crew Kidnapped from Tanker in the Gulf of Guinea
Armed pirates have reportedly kidnapped 13 seafarers from a Liberian-flagged product tanker in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, continuing a rise in attacks on…
Crew Kidnappings Soar in West Africa
Crew kidnappings and violent attacks on vessels in the oil-rich West Africa region have soared in 2020, with 77 seafarers taken hostage or kidnapped for ransom since January…
Dryad: Heavily Armed Men Attack Cargo Ship off Benin. Kidnap 5 Crew Members
The maritime security intelligence group Dryad has reported that general cargo vessel KOTA BUDI was boarded by heavily armed men resulting in the kidnap of 5 crew."The…
Armed Group Attacks FPSO, Kidnaps Crew in Nigeria
The article has been updated to include a statement by BW Offshore who confirmed the attack on its FPSO and the kidnapping of several crew members.Pirates on Thursday…
US Warns of Pirates in Southern Gulf of Mexico
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The U.S. government on Wednesday issued a warning about the threat posed by pirates to boats and oil installations in the southern Gulf of Mexico, in the latest sign of concern about ongoing security challenges facing Mexico."Armed criminal groups have been known to target and rob commercial vessels, oil platforms, and offshore supply vessels in the Bay of Campeche area in the southern Gulf of Mexico," the U.S.
IMO Head Commends Nigeria's Antipiracy Efforts
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The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim commended Nigeria’s antipiracy efforts in the Gulf of Guinea as the West African nation continues to make strides to curb attacks against ships in the world’s top piracy hot spot.Lim said recent actions made by the West African country to restrain piracy in the region “send a strong and valuable message to the international…
US Sanctions Advisory Raises Hurdles for Global Maritime Industry
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Ship owners and insurers say it may be impossible for the maritime industry to fully comply with the Trump administration’s new guidelines on how to avoid sanctions penalties related to Iran, North Korea and Syria, raising the risk of disruptions in a sector already struggling with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak.The advisory issued this month marked the first U.S. sanctions guidance for the global maritime sector…
Kidnapped Containership Captain Freed
The Bulgarian captain of a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship who was kidnapped along with seven other sailors by pirates off the coast of Benin last month, has been freed…
Iran Warns US Against Any Move on Fuel Shipment to Venezuela
An Iranian news agency close to the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday there would be repercussions if the United States acted “just like pirates” against…
Tanker Repulses Pirate Attack in Gulf of Aden
Armed pirates attacked a British-flagged chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday but were repulsed, the ship's manager Stolt Tankers said.The pirates approached…
Pirates Kidnap 10 Crew from Tanker off Nigeria
Pirates have reportedly kidnapped 10 crew members from an oil tanker off the coast of Nigeria, maritime security consultancy Dryad Global reported.An uknown number…
EU's Piracy Fight Continues Amid COVID-19 Crisis
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The European Union's counter-piracy military force said it continues to patrol and work with global partners to fight piracy at sea during the coronavirus pandemic. Seafarers face continuing threats from pirates and armed robbers, says the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB), who reported 47 attacks in the first three months of 2020, up from 38 in the same period last year. Pirates boarded 37 ships…
Pirates Release 11 Crew, Hold 7 Hostage off Benin
Pirates attacked a Portugal-flagged ship and kidnapped its Bulgarian captain and seven sailors off the coast of Benin, Bulgaria's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.A…
Pirates Holding Containership Crew Hostage in Gulf of Guinea
Pirates reportedly boarded a Portuguese-flagged containership anchored off the coast of Benin on Sunday and are believed to be holding eight crew hostage, according…
Offshore Accommodation Unit Attacked in Mexico. Crew Member Injured
Offshore vessel provider Telford Offshore's offshore accommodation and hook-up unit Telford 28 was attacked earlier this week while anchored in Mexico. One crew…
2 More Piracy Incidents in Singapore Strait
Two ships in the Singapore Strait were attacked by pirates within the span of an hour in the wee hours of Sunday (Feb 9) mornings, aid the Regional Cooperation Agreement…
Phishing Penetration Test Measures Crew Vigilance
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GTMaritime is now offering a penetration testing service free of charge which allows customers to evaluate the ability of their personnel to identify phishing attacksShipping companies choosing GTMailPlus and other solutions from the GTMaritime portfolio are employing best-in-class technology to prevent the vast majority of phishing attempts from ever reaching crew. But threats are continually evolving: hackers are constantly trying to come up with new ruses to outwit software-based protections…
South Korea Anti-piracy Unit Heading to the Strait of Hormuz
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South Korea's military said on Tuesday it plans to expand the deployment of an anti-piracy unit now operating off the coast of Africa to the area around the Strait of Hormuz, after the United States pressed for help in guarding oil tankers.Attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran last year prompted U.S. officials to call for allies to join a planned maritime security mission.While South Korea, a key U.S.
Russia, China, Iran start IO Naval Drills
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Iran, China and Russia began joint naval drills on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, in what Moscow said was an unprecedented exercise in naval cooperation and training.Waters around Iran have become a focus for international tensions, with the United States exerting pressure for Iranian crude oil sales and other trade ties to be cut off."The message of this exercise is peace, friendship and lasting security through cooperation and unity...
ReCAAP ISC Alerts on Piracy in Singapore Strait
Three ships were attacked by pirates in Singapore Strait early in the morning, and late at night, on Dec 20, said South East Asia piracy watchdog ReCAAP ISC.Of the three ships that were boarded…