Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea remains a big problem but local laws and enforcement practices make it difficult for vessels to call at ports in the region with foreign armed guards onboard
The Club have recieved a security bulletin from INTERTANKO regarding attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Guinea region.
The Club wishes to bring to Members' attention that during the recent XIX Party Congress in Beijing, the local authorities in China implemented enhanced security measures at all ports. We were aware of a number of cases where crew members were required by local authorities to surrender their mobile phones or other electronic devices for inspection when ships call at ports in China. Those inspections appeared to have been conducted at random, of if a ship was specifically identified as posing a security threat.
Risk Focus: Consolidated 2017
06/07/2017
With its team of risk assessors, the UK Club is in a unique position to gather data and target areas of risk onboard ships.
It has been announced this week that as of May 2017 Philippines, Malaysia & Indonesia will launch joint piracy patrols in waters of the Sulu Sea.
The Club was recently involved in another case of kidnapping crew members in West Africa.
More crew were kidnapped at sea in 2016 than in any of the previous 10 years.