News

On Oct 12, 2024, at 0148 a.m. the 'YM Advance' was boarded by 12 perpetrators at the Kutubdia Ancorage in Chattogram in pos. 21° 48.07' N 91° 47.09' E. The intruders stole ship's properties and stores and personal belongings of the crew.

The 'GL La Paz' was boarded by four men, armed with gun-like objects, in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), about 10.1 nautical miles southeast of Pulau Iyu Kecil, in pos. 1° 8' N 103° 30.6' E on Oct 25, 2024, at 01.00 a.m. While there were no reported injuries to the crew, the intruders stole engine spares and left the ship.

The 'Genco Constellation' carrying a cargo of 51,400 tons of potassium fertilizer, was attacked by pirates on Oct 15, 2024, around 9:10 p.m. UTC (4:10 a.m. LT) in pos. 05°30.05' S 105°17.25' E at the Panjang Anchorage. A group of four approached the vessel in a small motor boat. They managed to enter the ship’s engine room storage and took some old spare parts from the generator and engine room. No injuries were reported among the 20 crew members, among them 15 Filipinos and five Indians. The pirate activity was first noticed by an able-bodied seaman (AB) stationed at the stern, who spotted one of the pirates climbing the ship’s railing with a rope. The AB shouted to alert the pirates, who then escaped by jumping into the water and returning to their boat. The ncident was reportedd to the Panjang Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). An internal investigation revealed that the pirates had entered the ship through a deck door that had been temporarily open, allowing them to reach the engine room undetected by the crew stationed at the forward deck. As a precaution, the vessel tightened security by locking all access to the accommodation and engine rooms from the inside, leaving only one bridge access open for night watch crew. The crew was also briefed on the incident to prevent similar incidents in the future. The report was received by the Maritime Coordination Center (MCC) via email from The ICC - International Maritime Bureau (IMB) with report number IMBPRC/1106/GEN-CON-01. Meanwhile, the Panjang Harbourmaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP), through letter number UM.086/10/11/KSOP.PJG/2024 dated Nov 8, confirmed that they had not received an official report from the vessel’s agent regarding the incident. PT Bumi Laut Shipping Service, acting as the vessel agent for the 'Genco Constellation', stated in a declaration that they had not submitted a loss report to KSOP Panjang as they had not received a written report from the vessel’s master.

The Houthi terrorists have launched an attack on the 'SC Montreal' on Oct 28, 2024, which was en route from Salalah to Pointe des Galets, Reunion. The shup was attacked with two drones while sailing in the southern Arabian Sea. There were no additional details or independent confirmation of this attack. There was alson an attack on the 'Motaro' (IMO 9310290), en route from Ust Luga to China, sailing in the Red Sea and approaching the Bab al-Mandab Strait, about 25 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Mocha, One explosion occurred near the vessel at 2:35 p.m. GMT, followed by another at 3:03 p.m. GMT and a final explosion at 4:37 p.m. GMT. The vessel and its crew were reportedly safe, and the ship continued the voyage from St. Petersburg to the next port of call, Changjiangkou. The vessel has no known connections to Israel and has not docked at any Israeli port in the last three years, The Houthi militants also claimed attacks on, the 'Maersk Kowloon', which was targeted by a cruise missile in the Arabian Sea en route from Salalah with New York as next port of destination.

An operation to transfer approximately 150,000 tons of crude oil from the 'Sounion' to the 'Delta Blue'', using portable equipment, started at a safe anchorage point in the port of Suez on Nov 7. It is being conducted by a salvage crew aboard the tug 'Aigaion Pelagos'. The process is expected to take three to four weeks. The 20 separate fires caused by explosions triggered by the Houthis have been successfully extinguished by the crew of the 'Aigaion Pelagos'. The primary goal is to secure the ship and ensure its stability, as it lacks operational mechanical systems and its hull plates have been weakened by deck fires and subsequent explosions after being struck in a drone attack on Aug 21.