The Takoradi anchorage has recorded two robbery incidents on ships in the first quarter of 2023, according to data from the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) piracy reporting centre.
One of such incidents, according to the IMO, was an attempted robbery which was reported to port control authorities. The IMO said on January 25, 2023, a duty officer onboard a product tanker – Seaclipper, Hong Kong, China, at 23:50 UTC – spotted three unauthorised persons on the forecastle area.
The report said an alarm was raised, crew mustered and port control notified. Upon hearing the alarm and seeing the crew alertness, the persons escaped without stealing anything. A patrol boat was subsequently dispatched to the location to conduct an investigation.
Similarly, duty crew onboard an anchored tanker – Nord Stingray Product tanker Denmark, on March 2, this year at 02:36 UTC noticed an unauthorised person near the forecastle and immediately raised the alarm. Upon hearing the alarm, the individual escaped with stolen ship’s stores.
The incident was reported to Takoradi Port Control and a patrol boat was sent to investigate.
Other key ports included in the first quarter 2023 report by the IMO are the Luanda anchorage and Pointe Noire in Congo.
In Luanda, robbers in a canoe approached and boarded an anchored tug (Komodo Tug Malta – name of ship) on March 26, 2023. Alert crew noticed the robbers and informed the OOW who raised the alarm and crew mustered, resulting in the robbers escaping with stolen ship’s properties as Port Authorities were informed.
Around 135nm (nautical mile) WSW of Pointe Noire on March 25, 2023, more than ten pirates armed with guns attacked and boarded a tanker underway – Monjasa Reformer Product tanker, Liberia.
An alarm was raised and all crew members mustered in the citadel. On being notified of the incident, the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre informed the regional authorities in the Gulf of Guinea and the French authorities, and requested their assistance.
The pirates managed to break into the citadel, took hostage all crew members, and took control of the tanker. They hijacked the tanker and sailed to another location. All communication with the tanker was lost as the pirates had destroyed the navigational and communication equipment.
“The IMB broadcast a missing tanker message to all ships at sea. On March 30, 2023, a French naval asset intercepted the tanker Off Bonny, Nigeria. Part of the cargo was stolen and six crew were reportedly kidnapped. The tanker was escorted to a safe port,” the IMO said.
The IMO explained that acts of piracy and armed robbery allegedly committed against ships are reported by member-states or international organisations in consultative status.
Meanwhile, the cost of maritime piracy and armed robbery in West Africa, says non-profit group Oceans Beyond Piracy, is projected to reach US$2.3billion by end of this year, from the US$1.2billion lost recorded in 2021.
