| Submit your comments on this article |
| International-UN-NGOs |
| Weekly Piracy Report 16-22 August 2005 |
| 2005-08-24 |
| [August 22 2005] at 0245 UTC in position 06:20.7N - 003:20.3E, Lagos Anchorage, Nigeria. Two robbers boarded a general cargo ship and tried to assault duty A/B. He managed to raise alarm and crew mustered. Robbers stole ship’s stores and broke seals of two containers before escaping. [August 21 2005] at 1945 UTC in position 29:43.6N - 048:39.3E, Um Qasr-Khawr Abd Allah Channel, Iraq. Six robbers in two boats armed with machine guns and knives approached a general cargo ship at anchor awaiting berthing. Four robbers boarded; overpowered duty A/B and went to the bridge, where they took hostage Deck Officer and two crewmembers. Robbers held further seven crewmembers at gunpoint and took them to Master’s cabin. By this time Master escaped and hid inside engine room. Robbers assaulted the hostages and threatened them with guns and knives and ordered them to open the safe. As none of hostages knew the safe combination they lowered the safe in their boat. Robbers escaped in a two metre dark green speedboat at 2020 UTC. [August 19 2005] at 2030 LT in position 02:37.1N - 108:57.0E, off Natuna Islands, Indonesia. Pirates armed with guns in a fishing boat fired upon a tug towing a barge causing damage to navigation equipment and accommodation. Master cast off the barge, took evasive manoeuvres and proceeded to Singapore. No injuries to crew. [August 16 2005] at 0200 LT in approx posn 01N – 104E, Indonesia. Pirates hijacked a tug towing a barge. They threw a crewmember overboard who was rescued by a nearby craft. He reached shore and reported the incident to naval authorities in Tg. Pinang. The tug and barge are still missing. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #2 Easier to take a tug/barge combo than a ship. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2005-08-24 19:06 |
| #1 These last two reports bother me, on the 16th and again on the 19th "Pirates" attacked a tugboat pulling a barge. At first glance what the hell would they want with a tugboat? But on second thought I can think of all kinds of nasty stuff a legitimate seeming tug and barge full of explosives could do. That two tugnoat/barge combos were attacked bothers me greatly, sounds suspiciously like a contract order for one barge/tug combo to be procured and delivered. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2005-08-24 10:52 |