On March 26, the Command-in-Chief for the Atlantic (CECLANT) set sail as soon as possible for the French Navy's Premier L'Her high-seas patrol boat, then calling at Libreville, Gabon, to reach the last known position of the 'Monjasa Reformer' which was 05°03' N 009°35' E. Since its arrival in the area on March 27, the boat, equipped with an aerial surveillance drone, has been continuing its search for the ship which has not transmitted AIS signals since the start of the attack. The operations, carried out in conjunction with the other ships in the area, the Maritime Operational Centers (MOC) in the region, the MRCC Monrovia and the MDAT GoG, remained unsuccessful.
News
CAPE AMIRA
The 'S Cape' was boarded by five perpetrators with knives who were sighted in the steering gear compartment while transiting the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait in pos. 01 04 09 N, 103 35 30 E, on Jan 19, 2023, at 5 p.m. UTC. The emergency alarm was raised, and at6 p.m. the crew conducted a search of the vessel, and the Master reported that the perpetrators had fled the vessel and escaped. The Master reported the incident to Singapore Port Operations Control Centre via VHF. Nothing was reported stolen. The vessel did not require any assistance and continued its voyage to Lianyungangwith an ETA as of Feb 4.
MONJASA REFORMER
The 'Monjasa Reformer' was boarded by pirates in the early morning of March 26, 2023. The crew mustered in the citadel, while the ship was off the coast of the Republic of Congo. The AIS was turned off since 0000 UTC. There were no contacts, no news on the crew and the ship's status. The last position was 05° 01.04' S 009° 34.64' E.
SAKURA SHUCHI
The master of the 'MH Langoey' raised alarm and made a general announcement after confirming that three perpetrators had boarded the vessel in pos. 22 48 59 N, 070 01 4 E at the Kandla anchorage on Jan 19, 2023, at 3 p.m. UTC. Upon hearing the alarm, the perpetrators jumped into the water and escaped with stolen items (comprising of brass valves, stainless steel bolts, and nuts) in an unidentified small orange fishing boat. The Indian Coast Guard Ship 'C-401' was diverted to investigate the incident and arrived at 6.45 p.m. The Master reported the incident to Kandla Signal Station. Upon receipt of the report, the Kandla Signal Station advised the master to lodge a formal report. He was not willing to file any formal complaint with the local authorities about the incident in view of its commercial compulsions and next assigned commitments. The Kandla Signal Station broadcasted a security message, advising all stakeholders to alert the merchant traffic in the area and to enhance vigilance and adherence to the standard norms of security and SOPs, especially during night/dark hours to mitigate such incidents in the future. The tanker sailed from Kandla Anchorage on Jan 21, bound to Yanbu with an ETA as of Feb 1.
ESBERN SNARE
The 40-year-old Nigerian, who was wounded during a shootout with Danish soldiers in the Gulf of Guinea on Nov 24, 2021, and subsequently had to have one of his legs amputated, has now applied for asylum in Denmark. He was one of a total of eight suspected pirates on board a smallboat that opened fire on a helicopter of the 'Esbern Snare' when Danish forces wanted to board the boat to investigate whether they were planning piracy. Four of the suspected pirates were killed when Danish soldiers returned the fire. Four others were detained on board the frigate, but three of them were ordered by the then Minister of Justice to drop charges and were subsequently released. The 40-year-old Nigerian was taken to Denmark, where he was found guilty of endangering the lives of Danish soldiers, but escaped punishment due to mitigating circumstances - among other things, referring to the fact that the others were set free. Originally, he wanted to return to his family in Nigeria as soon as possible. But that required him to get a prosthetic leg - and that hasn't happened yet, because the Danish authorities could not agree on who should pay for it.