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| International-UN-NGOs |
| Weekly Piracy Report - 31 May to 6 June 2005 |
| 2005-06-07 |
| Recently reported incidents [June 06 2005] at 1535 UTC in position 02:23N - 046:07E, off Mogadishu, Somalia. Three pirates armed with automatic guns in a white speedboat opened fire on a bulk carrier underway. USS Gonzalez , a US naval ship in the area responded to a distress call from the master and came close to assist. USS Gonzalez fired parachute flares and directed searchlights to illuminate the area and escorted the bulk carrier to a safer location away from Somali coast. No injuries to crew but gunfire by pirates caused 10 bullet holes on starboard side near bridge. [June 01 2005] at 2000 LT in position 04:15N - 100:18E, off Pangkor Island, Malacca Straits. Eight pirates armed with automatic guns and long knives fired warning shots at a tanker underway. They boarded and kidnapped master and boatswain and left in a fishing boat with ship's documents. 2nd Officer navigated the tanker safely to a port. Pirates have demanded ransom for releasing the crew. Further news is awaited. [May 31 2005] at 0230 LT, deep water anchorage "A", 10nm south of Basra oil terminal, Iraq. Pirates armed with AK47 rifles boarded a tanker awaiting berthing. They tried to enter bridge claiming to be policemen. Master denied them entry and pirates became violent and broke glass panels on bridge wing door and entered bridge. They assaulted the master causing him injuries and demanded money. They entered master's cabin and located the safe and stole cash and personal belongings. They dragged the master and tried to take him to main deck and left at 0240. Master sent a mayday message and activated SSAS and moved to deep water anchorage "B". Later a coalition warship arrived to investigate. [May 22 2005] at 1500 LT, at posn 03:42N 48:16E, Eastern coast, Somalia. Pirates boarded and hijacked a general cargo ship underway. They beat up the 21 crewmembers and locked them in a room. Pirates have demanded ransom for releasing the ship and the crew. Further news is awaited. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #1 Sigh. Here we go again... There's a legal problem with merchant ships using weapons, even in self defense. By international law, the use of weapons then classes the merchant vessel as a warship, with all the legal baggage that entails. That's why some ships are escorted through the Malacca Straits by a separate escort vessel, and not by an armed onboard detachment. If one thinks Malaysia goes nuts over an escort vessel, imagine what would happen if they found an armed detachment aboard a ship, or that weapons had been fired at pirates in their territorial waters. Ship owners don't want to go through that kind of headache. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-06-07 23:44 |