OFFICE OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE

(U) WORLDWIDE: Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report24 August - 23 September 201524 September 2015

.(U) Table of Contents.1. (U) Scope Note2. (U) Summary3. (U) Counter-Piracy and Maritime Crime Announcements and Advisories4. (U) Details: Monthly Incidents by Region5. (U) Appendix A: Further Contact Information and Resources6. (U) Appendix B: Terminology and References.1. (U) Scope Note.(U) The Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) message provides info on piracy threats to, and criminal action against, merchant vessels worldwide in the last 30 days. This report is produced primarily to inform merchant mariners and naval forces..2. (U) Summary.A. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 21 September, unidentified gunmen abducted a Norwegian resort manager, two Canadians and a Filipino woman from a resort on in the southern Philippines..B. (U) INDONESIA: On 20 September, robbers attempted to board an underway bulk carrier 3.1 nm southwest of Pulau Takong Kecil..C. (U) INDONESIA: On 20 September, three robbers armed with a bolo knife boarded an underway bulk carrier 1.9 nm northeast of Pulau Karimun Kecil..D. (U) COLOMBIA: On 19 September, six robbers boarded a sailing yacht anchored in the Rosario Islands area near Cartagena..E. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 18 September, an unknown number of robbers boarded a berthed product tanker at the

JG Summit Petrochemical Group Jetty No. 1, Batangas..F. (U) GULF OF GUINEA: On 17 September, a suspicious vessel was reportedly operating approximately 288 nm south of Benin..G. (U) LIBYA: On 16 September, Russian tanker MT MEKHANIK CHEBOTARYOV was stopped by a Libyan warship in international waters..H. (U) INDONESIA: On 16 September, robbers boarded an underway 6.6 nm east-southeast of Pulau Karimun Kecil..I. (U) VIETNAM: On 16 September, an unknown number of robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier in Vungtau anchorage..3. (U) Counter-Piracy and Maritime Crime Announcements and Advisories.A. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Government of Japan convoy schedule for September and October 2015. To apply for JMSDF escort, visit http://www.mlit.go.jp/en/maritime/maritime_fr2_000000.html, please contact directly the Anti-Piracy Contact and Coordination Office, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MILT), Japan: Tel: +81-3-5253-8932; Fax: +81-3-5253-1643. Email: INFO-PIRACY@mlit.go.jp. (MSCHOA).B. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Korean Navy convoy schedule for September and October 2015. All merchant vessels wishing to join the convoy group must submit their application forms directly to the ROK naval warship carrying out the mission. The ROK MTG can be reached directly at INMARSAT: 00-870-773-110-439; Email: cheonghaeetg@navy.mil.kr. (MSCHOA).C. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Chinese Navy convoy schedule for September and October 2015. For further information, please e-mail planavy@navy.mil.cn, or call Tel: 86 10 652 92218/96; Fax: 86 10 652 92245. (MSCHOA).D. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Indian Navy convoy escort schedule for September and October 2015. To register, email dgcommcentre-dgs@nic.in; or visit www.dgshipping.com. Telephone numbers for contact are: 91-22-22614646 or fax at 91-22- 22613636. (MSCHOA)

.E. (U) GULF OF ADEN: Russian Navy convoy escort schedule for September and October 2015. For further information e-mail smb@msecurity.ru; isps@msecurity.ru; or fax +7 (499) 642-83-29. (MSCHOA)..4. (U) Details: Monthly Incidents by Region.(U) This section lists reports of active violence against shipping, credible threats to shipping, or the potential for a situation to develop into a direct threat to shipping over the last 30 days. Every effort is made to ensure that incidents are not double-counted. In the event double-counting is detected, or an incident is later learned to be different than initially reported, an explanation of the cancellation of the inaccurate report will be made in at least one message prior to dropping the erroneous report..A. (U) NORTH AMERICA: .1. (U) UNITED STATES: On 21 August, three stowaways were found in the Port of Jacksonville, Florida. One had jumped from the MV PETRA after being spotted during an inspection of the ship. That stowaway was picked up and turned over to authorities, who learned that two more stowaways were still aboard the ship. Originally, five persons stowed away in the rudder trunk on 7 August when the ship left Lagos, Nigeria, but two of them fell overboard during the trip. (www.news4jax.com)................B. (U) CENTRAL AMERICA - CARIBBEAN - SOUTH AMERICA:

.1. (U) COLOMBIA: On 19 September, six robbers boarded a sailing yacht anchored in the Rosario Islands area near Cartagena. During the robbery, the wife of the yacht owner was killed. Local authorities are investigating the case. (www.noonsite.com).2. (U) VENEZUELA: On 8 September, Venezuelan authorities arrested seven people for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large amount of diesel fuel as the government seeks to clamp down on theft of subsidized fuel. A tanker owned by state oil company PDVSA loaded 60,000 barrels of diesel fuel at the Cardon refinery despite having authorization to load only 10,000, according to law enforcement officials. Authorities believe the suspects intended to resell the fuel abroad. (Reuters).3. (U) PERU: On 8 September, Peruvian Coast Guard forces inspected the gas carrier HISPANIA SPIRIT after reports of suspicious activity were received. During the inspection, authorities found 211 kilograms of cocaine and a person of Venezuelan nationality near the rudder area of the ship. The cocaine was seized and the Venezuelan was arrested by the police. (www.worldmaritimenews.com).C. (U) ATLANTIC OCEAN AREA: No current incidents to report..D. (U) NORTHERN EUROPE - BALTIC: No current incidents to report................E. (U) MEDITERRANEAN - BLACK SEA: No current incidents to report.

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1. (U) LIBYA: On 16 September, Russian tanker MT MEKHANIK CHEBOTARYOV was stopped by a Libyan warship in international waters. The empty vessel had been on its way to the Libyan port of Zawiya. Having boarded the vessel, the Libyan military did not explain their reason for stopping it. They had two crew members board the ship and ordered the tanker's captain to follow them and switch off the automatic identification system. The vessel was then escorted to the port of Tripoli. The entire crew had their documents and cell phones confiscated. Vessel documentation was also seized. (Interfax).F. (U) WEST AFRICA:

1. (U) GULF OF GUINEA: On 17 September, a suspicious vessel was reportedly operating near position 01:13 N - 001:50 E, approximately 288 nm south of Benin. The vessel was described as having a blue hull, white superstructure and is not displaying AIS. It reportedly followed another vessel for an hour and a half. (MTISC-GOG).2. (U) NIGERIA: On 4 September, NORMAND CUTTER, a subsea construction vessel was boarded by gunmen posing as the Nigerian Navy off the coast of Nigeria. A Norwegian news site said that the vessel which stopped the Solstad vessel was likely a former Norwegian Navy vessel, one of six controversially sold to former Niger Delta militant, Government Ekpemupolo, the a former commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, who was granted amnesty by the Nigerian Government in 2009. He now runs Global West Vessel Specialist Agency handling maritime security for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). The gunmen checked the vessel paperwork, although quickly turned to negotiations over money. While not revealing whether money was paid, the vessel was released. (www.splash247.com).3. (U) NIGERIA: On 2 September, units from the Nigerian Army uncovered a massive illegal bunkering site located at Makoba Beach, about one kilometer from the Rivers Port Complex located in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. An army spokesman said that 13 suspects were arrested at the scene of the illegal facility, further stating that they found over 5,000 drums loaded with illegally refined diesel; four tanker trucks containing 132,000 liters of

diesel combined, and a barge with 165,000 liters of stolen diesel. The spokesman also stated that that an additional 150 drums loaded with about 3,150 liters of diesel were also discovered in 21 Cotonou boats. (www.allafrica.com; www.punchng.com).4. (U) NIGERIA: On 29 August, the marine division of the Bayelsa State Police Command reportedly repelled an attack on a passenger boat by suspected pirates in the Ginagbene waterway of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state. Occupants of the passenger boat escaped unhurt as a police patrol team came to their rescue by forcing the gunmen to retreat into the creek following a shootout. (Vanguard Online).5. (U) NIGERIA: On 26 August, gunmen ambushed two speedboats and kidnapped three persons along the Ogbia-Brass waterways of Bayelsa East senatorial district, Bayelsa State. Among those abducted were two Okpoama chiefs identified as Chief Blessing Wagio and Chief Isaac Akono-Igolo, and a security guard. (www.vanguardngr.com).G. (U) ARABIAN GULF: No current incidents to report..H. (U) INDIAN OCEAN - EAST AFRICA: .1. (U) SOMALIA: On 27 August, an Iran-flagged fishing vessel and its crew escaped after being held captive for five months, but it is not clear how many crew members have escaped. FV JABER, believed to have had up to 19 crew, was captured on 26 March, along with another Iranian fishing vessel near Ceel Hur, in central Somalia. Local officials accused them of illegal fishing in Somali waters. (Reuters)............

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.I. (U) EAST ASIA - SOUTHEAST ASIA - INDIAN SUBCONTINENT:

.1. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 21 September, unidentified gunmen abducted a Norwegian resort manager, two Canadians and a Filipino woman from a resort on Samal Island, near Davao City in the southern Philippines. At least 11 armed men arrived at the resort in two speedboats. The gunmen appeared to have specifically targeted the victims when they entered the Holiday Ocean View Samal Resort before midnight. (abcnews.go.com).2. (U) INDONESIA: On 20 September, alert crewmen onboard an underway bulk carrier near position 01:04 N - 103:41 E, 3.1 nm southwest of Pulau Takong Kecil saw a speed boat with eight persons approaching the ship. The alarm was raised, crew mustered, notified the Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS), and employed anti-piracy measures. As the boat came alongside the Master commenced evasive maneuvering, resulting in the robbers aborting the approach and moving away. Naval vessels in the vicinity were dispatched to assist the vessel. (IMB).3. (U) INDONESIA: On 20 September, three robbers armed with a bolo knife boarded an underway bulk carrier near position 01:11.1N – 103:25.0E, 1.9 nm northeast of Pulau Karimun Kecil. The robbers entered the engine room, stole ship properties, and escaped. When duty crew saw the robbers, they raised the alarm and mustered the crew. VTIS Singapore was also informed. (IMB).4. (U) PHILIPPINES: On 18 September, an unknown number of robbers boarded a berthed product tanker near position 13:40 N - 121:03 E, JG Summit Petrochemical Group Jetty No. 1, Batangas. The robbers boarded unnoticed, stole ship properties and escaped. The theft was reported by a duty crewman on rounds who found the forward mooring rope cut and ship's properties missing. (IMB).5. (U) INDONESIA: On 16 September, a duty lookout onboard an

underway bulk carrier near position 01:06 N - 103:31 E, 6.6 nm east-southeast of Pulau Karimun Kecil, noticed a speed boat alongside the ship. Alarm was raised crew was mustered, SSAS activated. However, the robbers had already tied up the Duty Oiler in the engine room and escaped with engine spares. (IMB).6. (U) VIETNAM: On 16 September, an unknown number of robbers boarded an anchored bulk carrier near position 10:14 N - 107:02 E at the Vungtau anchorage. The robbers were able to steal ship’s property and escape unnoticed. The incident was discovered later in the day. (IMB).7. (U) VIETNAM: On 11 September, two Vietnamese fishing boats were attacked by gunmen in two speedboats in an area south of Ca Mau province. One fisherman was killed and one injured during the shooting incident. (www.tuoitrenews.vn).8. (U) SINGAPORE: On 6 September, four robbers boarded an anchored tanker near position 01:16 N - 103:59 E, 3 nm south of Singapore. The thieves broke into the engine room, stole engine spares and escaped unnoticed. Ship’s Master informed local authorities of the boarding. (IMB).9. (U) INDONESIA: On 9 September, robbers boarded an underway container ship near position 01:07 N - 103:31 E, 6.4 nm southeast of Pulau Karimun Kecil. The chief officer found the duty engineer lying on the floor bound and gagged with his mouth bleeding. Alarm was raised and ship searched. The robbers were able to steal stole ship’s spare parts and escape. (IMB).10. (U) INDONESIA: On 8 September, robbers boarded an underway bulk carrier near position 01:11 N - 103:25 E, 1.8 nm northeast of Pulau Karimun Kecil. The robbers were spotted by the Ship’s Master who raised the alarm and switched on all deck lights. Crew was mustered. A search of the ship was carried out, with nothing reported stolen. VTIS Singapore informed. When the ship entered Singapore anchorage, the Coast Guard boarded for investigation. (IMB).11. (U) INDONESIA: On 2 September, robbers boarded a sailing yacht anchored in Potopaddu Bay, Sumbawa Island. The robbers were able to steal deck equipment and other valuables and escape. (www.noonsite.com)

.12. (U) SINGAPORE: On 1 September, robbers boarded the tug PERMATA1 in the Singapore Strait. Bridge crew sent a distress call, which was answered by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) ship RSS RESILIENCE. The robbers fled towards Indonesian waters at the sight of the Singapore warship. The RSN's Information Fusion Centre (IFC) shared information on the incident and the perpetrators with the Indonesian Navy's Western Fleet Sea Security Group, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, which then deployed their naval assets to assist in the search for the robbers. Three robbers were apprehended and the stolen cargo was recovered. (www.straitstimes.com).13. (U) BANGLADESH: On 25 August, pirates abducted 68 fishermen near Sundarban. A group of 30 pirates attacked several groups of fishermen early in the morning, taking them hostage and looting the boats of fuel and fish. (www.dhakatribune.com).14. (U) BANGLADESH: On 25 August, pirates attacked a group of fishermen near the Kendo area of the Sunderbans, on the India and Bangladesh border. The gunmen shot two of the seven fishermen, who were taken to a local hospital. The other five fishermen were unharmed. The attackers fled the area after the shooting. (www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com).15. (U) BANGLADESH: On 24 August, pirates attacked a group of fishermen, killing one and reportedly kidnapping up to 25 others in the Bay of Bengal. Witnesses said that a gang of at least 35 bandits attacked the group of fishing trawlers, looting personal valuables and stealing fuel and the fishing catch of the fishing boats before leaving the area. (www.thedailystar.net) .J. (U) NORTH - EAST ASIA: .1. (U) CHINA: On 16 September, Chinese officials announced that at least eight people have been arrested in a case involving smuggling of more than 34,000 tons of oil. More than 10 other suspects were detained and two tankers were seized after customs police in China's Jiangsu province busted the ring, which has been operating since 2013, according to press reports. The smuggling ring bought oil from a Taiwanese tanker in open waters.

One suspect reportedly set up a company in Shandong province to subsequently sell the oil. (www.business-standard.com).K. (U) PACIFIC OCEAN - SOUTHERN OCEAN: No current incidents to report..5. (U) Appendix A: Further Contact Information and Resources.(U) This appendix provides contact information for the author of the WTS as well as other entities that can be contacted with maritime crime reports. It also lists other resources where the WTS is posted and where piracy and maritime crime incident information can be found..(U) Contact .(U) Originator of this WTS report requests consumer feedback. Originator will incorporate all anti-shipping events and violence against the maritime industry into this weekly message where appropriate. To aid in our reporting, please add the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) to your normal corporate and organizational reporting requirements. The 24-hour watch can be reached at +1 (301) 669-4053..(U) Other Resources.(U) This Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report is posted at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Maritime Safety site: http://msi.nga.mil/NGAPortal/MSI.portal. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) also publishes a live piracy report based on reporting from the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, listing all piracy and armed robbery incidents in the last ten days: http://www.icc-ccs.org/. The PAWW and WTS Reports are posted weekly on the ONI Intel Portal: http://www.oni.navy.mil/Intelligence_Community/piracy.htm..6. (U) Appendix B: Terminology and References.(U) This appendix is provided to promote consistent use of accurate terms of reference in reporting and also identifies those references that were used to gather the information contained in this report. ONI welcomes comment and suggestions for addition or amendment..

(U) Terminology.(U) In order to promote consistent use of accurate terms of reference, the following have been adopted to describe the range of criminal anti-shipping activity and impediments to safe navigation in our worldwide reporting and analysis. Please note that these terms relate to observable activity and are independent of target vessel status and exclude actions by governmental powers in lawful pursuit of their authorities:.* (U) Attempted Boarding – Close approach or hull-to-hull contact with report that boarding paraphernalia were employed or visible in the approaching boat. .* (U) Blocking – Hampering safe navigation, docking, or undocking of a vessel as a means of protest..* (U) Boarding – Unauthorized boarding of a vessel by persons not part of its complement without successfully taking control of the vessel..* (U) Firing Upon – Weapons discharged at or toward a vessel..* (U) Hijacking – Unauthorized seizure and retention of a vessel by persons not part of its complement. .* (U) Kidnapping – Unauthorized forcible removal of persons belonging to the vessel from it..* (U) Robbery – Theft from a vessel or from persons aboard the vessel..* (U) Suspicious Approach – All other unexplained close proximity of an unknown vessel....(U) Sourcing.(U) ONI derives information in this report from direct reporting and analysis of reports from the following agencies and commercial sources.* Agence France Presse (AFP)* Associated Press (AP)* Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), Denmark* BBC News

* EU Naval Forces (EU)* Fairplay (FP), London* Informa Group (INFO), formerly LLP, Llp Limited, London* International Maritime Bureau (IMB), London and Kuala Lumpur* International Maritime Organization (IMO), London* gCaptain* Latitude38.com (LAT) website* Lloyd's List (LL), daily, London* Local Media (LM)* LSS-SAPU.com (LSS)* Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S.* The Maritime Executive (website)* Maritime Security Centre - Horn of Africa (MSCHOA)* Maritime Security Council (MSC), U.S.* Maritime Trade Information Sharing Centre - Gulf of Guinea (MTISC-GoG)* National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Navigation Safety System* North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Brussels* Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) (analysis and comment)* Operator (owner or operator of affected vessel)* Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)* Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, * Information Sharing Center (ReCAAP ISC)* Reuters* Royal Australian Navy (RAN)* Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN)* Seafarers’ Assistance Program (SAP), Kenya * Tradewinds (TW)* United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO)* United Press International (UPI)* U.S. Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO) Bahrain* U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)* U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).(U) ICOD: 24 September 2015

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