IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

AFPN 6504
103 Tanah Merah Coast Road, #02-01
Singapore 498750
Tel : +65 9626 8965 (Mobile)
+65 6594 5728 (Office)
Fax :
+65 6594 5734
IFC_DO@defence.gov.sg
www.infofusioncentre.gov.sg
02 Feb 15

INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

MARSEC WEEKLY REPORT
24-31 Jan 15
For the period from 24 to 31 Jan 15, IFC received information on the following:
Events Categories
Contraband Trafficking
Irregular Human Migration
Illegal, Unreported, & Unregulated Fishing
Maritime Incidents
Natural Events
Piracy / Sea Robbery / Sea Theft
Weapons Trafficking
Maritime Terrorism

Number of Incidents
Registered*
6
1
8
4
0
6
0
0

* 2 Contraband Trafficking, 5 Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, 2 Maritime Incidents, 3 Piracy/Sea
Robbery/Sea Theft incidents occurred out of the period of 24 to 31 Jan 15.
Legend
Contraband Trafficking
Irregular Human Migration
Illegal, Unreported& Unregulated Fishing
Maritime Incidents
Natural Events
Piracy / Sea Robbery / Sea Theft (Actual/
Attempted)
Weapons Trafficking
Maritime Terrorism

Figure 1: Location of Incidents

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OVERVIEW OF INCIDENTS
Contraband Trafficking
24 Jan Contraband Trafficking/ Port
Klang/ Malaysia

26 Jan MGO Smuggling/ Singapore

Details: Malaysia Marine Police caught a

boat for smuggling cosmetics products.

Details: 2 tugs were detained by the

Singapore Police Coast Guard for illegal
sale of MGO.

24 Jan Contraband Trafficking/

Lawas / Malaysia

Events reported out of the period:

Details: Three men in a boat, were

detained after they were caught moving
boxes of smuggled beer onto a lorry near
Labuan.
24 Jan Narcotics
Semenyih / Malaysia

Trafficking/

21 Jan Drug Trafficking/ Langkawi /

Malaysia
Details: Police arrested six people for
trafficking drugs using a boat in Langkawi.
22 Jan Smuggling / Dumai / Indonesia

Details: A drug smuggling ring, which

used hollow furniture to smuggle heroin
into the Malaysia via container shipments
from Pakistan, was busted by Malaysian
Authority.

Details: 74 tons of red onion, smuggled on

a cargo ship in Dumai Port was seized and
destroyed by Indonesian Authority.

Irregular Human Migration

25 Jan - Illegal Migrants Detained/ Kota Tinggi/ Malaysia
Details: 38 migrants, suspected to have entered illegally via sea, were detained in Kota
Tinggi by Malaysian Authority.
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
25 Jan Illegal Fishing/ Songkhla/
Thailand
Details: Two foreign fishing vessels were
detained for illegal fishing in Thailand
waters by Thailand Authority.
28 Jan Illegal Fishing/ Raja Ampat/
Indonesia
Details: A fishing boat found with
explosives in their fishing gear, was
detained by Indonesian Authority for
illegal fishing.

29 Jan Malaysia

Illegal

Fishing/

Lumut/

Details: An Indonesia fishing boat and its

crew were detained by Malaysian
Authority, in waters west of Lumut for
illegal fishing.
Events reported out of the period:
19 Jan Illegal Fishing/ Bay of Bengal/
Sri Lanka
Details: Six fishermen were caught by
Indian Authority, for illegal conchs
poaching off the Bay of Bengal.

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21 Jan Illegal Fishing/ Bay of Bengal/

Bangladesh

23 Jan Illegal Fishing/ Vankalai/ Sri

Lanka

Details: Two boats were caught by

Bangladesh Navy for illegally fishing
activities, near Cox Bazaar.

Details: Three personnel were caught by

the Sri Lankan Navy, with approximately
30kg of live turtle off the waters of
Vankalai Beach.

21 Jan Illegal Fishing/ Upparu/ Sri

Lanka
Details: Six fishermen were caught by the
Sri Lankan Navy for fishing illegally using
purse seiner net.

23 Jan Illegal Fishing/ Indian Ocean/

Indonesia
Details: Four illegal trawlers were caught
by a group of Indonesian fishermen at sea.
The vessels and crew were handed them
over to Indonesian Authority.

Maritime Incidents
24 Jan Coast Guard Rescued Man/
South China Sea
Details: The Vietnam Coast Guard
rescued an injured fisherman at sea and he
was sent ashore for medical attention.
29 Jan Fishing Boat Capsized/ Bay of
Bengal/ Bangladesh
Details: An overcrowded fishing boat
capsized in heavy seas in Bay of Bengal.

Events reported out of the period:

21 Jan Coast Guard Aids Ship/ South
China Sea
Details: The Vietnam Coast Guard
provided assistance to a stranded ship with
engine trouble and towed her back to shore
for repair.
22 Jan Grounded Vessel Ransacked/
Batam/ Indonesia
Details: A cargo vessel that recently ran
aground was ransacked by unspecified
number of perpetrators in the local
community.

Natural Events
Nothing Significant to Report
Piracy/ Sea Robbery/ Sea Theft
28 Jan Hijacking/ Pengerang Waters/
Malaysia
Details: MMEA was alerted to a hijack
incident on 29 Jan on board a tanker by the
owner. MMEA deployed ships to search
for the vessel and managed to locate the
vessel and detained 7 suspected pirates on
board. 2 perpetrators managed to escaped
by jumping overboard but they were found

in SCS by a passing bulk carrier on 30 Jan

clinging onto a SUN BIRDIE life buoy.
They were handed over to the Malaysian
Authority.
Comment: Timely reporting of the incident
resulted to the swift localisation of the
vessel and
apprehension
of
the
perpetrators.

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28 Jan Attempted Sea Theft/ Durian

Strait
Details: Crew of a Container Vessel while
underway spotted perpetrators in engine
room and sounded alarm. Perpetrators fled,
nothing stolen, no one hurt.
28 Jan Hijacking/ Lembeh Island/
Indonesia
Details: MT REHOBOT departed from
Bitung, North Sulawesi Island, Indonesia,
was hijacked by a group of armed and
masked perpetrators. Crew was set adrift
in life raft. The vessel is still missing.
Comments: IFC had sent out request to
regional partners and shippers to keep a
lookout for the vessel.

Events reported out of the period:

10 Jan Attempted Sea Theft/ Tanjung
Uban Anchorage/ Indonesia
Details: Crew from anchored LNG Tanker
observed three armed men in the engine
room. The perpetrators escaped after alarm
was raised, nothing stolen.
22 Jan Sea Robbery / Durian Strait
Details: Crew of a bulk carrier while
underway saw perpetrators on board and
sounded alarm. Suspects fled emptyhanded, but a crew member received
minor injuries.
23 Jan Oil Theft/ Geragai District/
Indonesia
Details: Five men were arrested by
Indonesian Authority for stealing oil from
a Petro-China oil rig.

Recommendations
IFC Advises:
1. All mariners to report any incidents timely to the nearest coastal state and IFC at the
earliest possible time.
2. Ships moving at slow speed or choosing to remain at anchor in areas where sea
robbery/theft is regularly reported to be vigilant and to adopt necessary security measures.
3. All mariners to take note on the description of the perpetrators and to take photos of the
perpetrators if possible.
4. Shippers and Seafarers operating in Sulu Sea and in vicinity of East Sabah Waters are
strongly recommended to be vigilant and to establish contact with both Malaysian and
Philippines Authorities to report their presence.
5. Shippers are advised to take note that al-Qaeda, in its recently launched English language
online magazine Resurgence, has called for the disruption of global trade and shipping
through acts of piracy, among other tactics. Shippers are therefore advised to exercise
vigilance and to adopt self-defensive measures as stated in BMP4, especially when
transiting narrow choke points and known sea robbery/piracy hot spots.

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Note: Information herein was derived from various internal and external sources
such as Focal Points, OPCENs and other maritime stakeholders. Shippers should
remain vigilant especially in areas where the threat level is assessed to be above one
in accordance with the IFC Spot Commentary 2/14 and IFC quarterly assessment
report. Ships should apply the appropriate security measures (such as BMP4 or
Tugs and Barge Guide). Ship masters should also be aware and refer to the
Maritime Security Charts Q6112 and Q6113, both published by the UK
Hydrographic Office.
CONTACT
In case of any doubt, incident at sea, suspicious approach or unusual observed activity at sea,
please contact IFC: IFC Duty Officer:
Email:
IFC_DO@defence.gov.sg or ifc_do@infofusioncentre.gov.sg
Tel:
+65 9626 8965 (Mobile)
+65 6594 5728 (Office)
Fax:
+65 6594 5734
The IFC seeks your observations in the course of your normal business. The IFC would like
to remind mariners to be mindful of national and international laws, company and other
policy requirements and also health and safety obligations, whilst recording these
observations. The reporting of such events to IFC does not absolve you of your obligations
towards coastal/ port/ flag authorities.

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IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY