Latest piracy news (February 19, 2012)
(BRUSSELS2) Pirates are now an increased threat in the northern Indian Ocean with several pirate groups operating off the coast of Oman and in the Arabian Sea, as well as in the Bab al Mandeb Strait, according to HQ anti-piracy maritime coalition forces. He also appealed to merchant ships for caution on fishing boats. " Many fishing boats are present in the southern Red Sea. These boats can approach merchant ships with the objective of increasing fishing opportunities but also warning ships not to get too close to fishing nets. Ship captains are urged to make sure to distinguish these fishing vessels from suspicious pirate vessels. »
10 suspects arrested near Comoros
10 suspects of acts of piracy were arrested off the island of Grande-Comoro by the security forces of the archipelago in a case smelling of sulfur. Nine of them are Kenyan, the tenth Bulgarian according to the prosecutor, quoted by the Pana agency. They claimed to be Kenyan police officers looking for a boat which they had to "secure to South Africa". But they had no identification.
The captured MV Leila
The EU maritime anti-piracy HQ has confirmed the capture by pirates of a United Arab Emirates vessel flying the Panamanian flag. The MV Leila, a ro-ro, was captured at 11 a.m., at 18° North and 57° East. It had been seized in 2009 by the Somaliland authorities and its crew held for several months, following a legal dispute.
FGS Berlin joins the anti-piracy operation
Return to the area in the Indian Ocean for the German navy supply ship. Equipped with two Sea King Mk41 helicopters, FGS Berlin joined the European Union's anti-piracy operation EUNavfor Atalanta on Friday (17 February).
Conviction confirmed
The Court of Appeal of Brussels (Belgium) confirmed, on Wednesday (February 15), the ten-year prison sentence for a Somali pirate for the attack on the Pompei, a Belgian dredger. Omar Mohammed Abdiwahad was picked up in November 2010 by Belgian forces during another attack and repatriated to Brussels to stand trial. Read also: Latest piracy news (July 4)
Taiwan considers arming trawlers
The Taiwanese are studying the possibility of allowing fishing vessels flying its flag to possess weapons to defend themselves against piracy or to have armed private guards on board. Taiwanese law currently prohibits this type of protection on civilian vessels. It should be noted that a Chinese edition of good practices against piracy (BMP) drafted by the European Union was published a year ago.
Training for Chinese officers
84 senior Chinese officers are being trained in Nanjing on the various piracy techniques. The objective of this 2-week session is to share experiences since China started its anti-piracy missions.
Also read (this week): 11 pirates arrested in Puntland
