IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

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
06 Jul 15

INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

MARSEC WEEKLY REPORT
27 Jun 03 Jul 15

Figure 1: Location of Incidents in IFC Area of Interest

For the period from Sat 27 Jun Fri 03 Jul 15, IFC received information as follows:
Piracy / Sea Robbery / Sea Theft

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU)

Irregular Human Migration

Weapons Trafficking

Maritime Incident

Contraband Trafficking

Natural Event

Maritime Terrorism

Note: 2 x Piracy/Sea Robbery/Sea Theft Incident, 2 x Irregular Human Migration, 2 x Maritime Incident and 3
x Contraband Trafficking Incident were reported out of the reporting period.

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OVERVIEW OF INCIDENTS
Piracy/Sea Robbery/Sea Theft
28 Jun Crude Oil Tanker / Attempted
Sea Theft / 8.4nm SE of Pulau Karimun
Kecil, Indonesia
Details: At 0404H, a Greece flagged oil
tanker OLYMPIC SPIRIT II reported 8
perpetrators boarded vessel at position 01
05.17N 103 32.52E with parangs and guns.
At 0520H, Master reported that all
perpetrators had left the vessel. A search
was conducted subsequently. Crew were
safe and no losses or injuries were
reported.
29 Jun Bulk Carrier / Attempted Sea
Theft / 5.1nm S of Pulau Nipa,
Indonesia
Details: At 0435H Jun, Master reported 3
perpetrators boarded the Bahamas-flagged
LEVAN vessel at position 01 03.68N
103 40.3E. The perpetrators fled when
alarm was sounded. Crew was reported
safe and nothing was stolen.
29 Jun Fishing Boat / Sea Robbery /
2nm E of Palawan, Philippines
Details: Owner of a distressed fishing boat
requested for assistance from the
authorities to return ashore after the owner
claimed that he had been attacked by sea
robbers.
29 Jun Bulk Carrier / Attempted
Boarding / 9nm W of Pulau Pisang,
Malaysia
Details: At 0340H Jun, duty officer of
Bulk Carrier "PRABHU YUVIKA"
noticed 2 unknown personnel on a speed

boat, attempting to approach the vessel's

starboard quarters at position 1 26.2N, 103
6.1E. The vessel sounded its horn and
directed its search light toward the speed
boat. The crew also activated the fire hose
that were rigged on vessel's shipside and
began to spray water. Upon seeing the
crew's alertness, the speed boat aborted
their attempt to board. All crew are safe.
Events reported outside of the period:
26 Jun Bulk Carrier / Attempted Sea
Theft / 5.3 nm SE of Pu Nipa, Indonesia
Details: At 0150H Jun, on board the
Panama-flagged TE HO, at position 01
06N 103 44E, three perpetrators armed
with long knives, were discovered in the
ship's engine room. A broken padlock was
found near the entrance of engine room,
which indicated that perpetrators could
have boarded from the stern. Perpetrators
fled when ship's alarm was raised.
Nothing stolen was reported.
26 Jun Crude Oil Tanker / Sea Theft /
2.8nm NE of Pulau Karimun Kecil,
Indonesia
Details: At 0400H Jun, on board the
Liberia-flagged LEONID LOZA, in
position 01 11.3N 103 25.5E, ship's crew
found footprints of unknown personnel
(exact number of unauthorised personnel
unknown) and subsequently conducted a
search on board. No unauthorised
personnel was found after the search,
however one compressor was found stolen.

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Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
30 Jun Two Fishing Vessels seized /
Illegal Fishing Area / Natuna, Riau
Islands / Indonesia

30 Jun 7 Arrested / Illegal Fishing

Activities / Thirikapallama Lagoon / Sri
Lanka

Details: West Kalimantan Water Police

have seized two Vietnamese vessels for
allegedly conducting illegal fishing
activities in Indonesian waters near
Natuna, Riau Islands. West Sumatra Police
said that both vessels, which carried 26
crewmembers of Vietnamese and Thai
nationality, displayed Indonesian flags to
try and trick patrol officers. The police
also seized 5 tons of fish as evidence along
with Indonesian and Malaysian flags found
on the ships. The crews could face a
maximum sentence of five years in prison
and a fine of Rp 1.5 billion (US$112,175)

Details: Sri Lankan Naval troops attached

to SLNS Thambapanni in Puttalam, in
coordination with the fisheries officials in
Puttalam, arrested seven persons who were
engaged in illegal fishing in the
Thirikapallama Lagoon on 30 June 2015.
Seven illegal fishing nets (Sangili net)
were also taken in to custody. The arrested
persons and the items were handed over to
Assistant Fisheries Director (Puttalam) for
further action.

Maritime Incidents
28 Jun Two fishermen / Fishing Boat /
Search and Rescue / Pulau Kendi /
Malaysia
Details: Two fishermen (father and son)
were rescued from the waters off Pulau
Kendi, some 24 hours after their boat
capsized.
Malaysian
Maritime
Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the
two survivors were tired and very hungry
when rescued at around 5pm on 28 Jun
2015. The fishermen were spotted by
Merchant vessel MV Orkim Merit where
one of its crewmembers contacted the
MMEA. The son was found to have minor
injuries. They were sent to the Penang
Hospital in Butterworth for treatment and
observation.
29 Jun LPG Tanker / Collision /
Island of Karang Dzhamuang / 20nm N
of Surabaya / Indonesia
Details: LPG tanker Navigator Aries
collided with a Container Ship Leo
Perdana on the night of 29 June 2015 near
the Island of Karang Dzhamuang.

The collision caused a fire on the tanker,

which was quickly put out. The 23,333
DWT tanker suffered a 5-meter breach on
its port side. Local maritime authorities
sent four tugboats to assist the stricken
vessels. The tanker was initially anchored
some 10nm N of Gresik. The extent of the
damage on the Container Ship Leo
Perdana is unknown; the ship is currently
docked at Surabaya port, where it sailed
under its own power. The Indonesiaflagged Navigator Aries is managed by
the UK-based Navigator Gas LLC, while
the Panama-flagged Leo Perdana is
operated by Taiwans Evergreen Marine
Corporation.
29 Jun Air Force Jet / Crashed / Pilot
Missing / Bay of Bengal / Bangladesh
Details: A F-7 fighter aircraft of
Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) crashed into
the Bay of Bengal after taking off from the
BAF Base Zahurul Haque with its lone
pilot missing. The authorities launched the
Search and Rescue operation to trace the
missing pilot identified as Flight

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Lieutenant Tahmid. The Navy and the
Chittagong Port Authorities have joined
hands with the Air Force in searching out
the missing pilot. The Chinese made F-7
fighter jet, which is used as a training
aircraft, was believed to have crashed into
the sea 6nm off the Patenga beach.
29 Jun Twenty six crewmen / Five
Vessels / Rescue Operations / off China
coast / China
Details: A total of 26 crewmembers were
rescued from five vessels hit by gusts in
Liaodong Bay of Bohai Sea. Two of the
five vessels sank, while three others took
in water. At 1520H, vessel Yu Xin Huo
sank 67nm NW of Dalian after all of the
five crewmembers on board were rescued
by the rescue helicopter B-7309. The
rescue helicopter also airlifted five other
crew members on board vessel Jiang
Hang to Dalian at 1705H the same day,
after the vessel took in water about 30nm
SW of Bayuquan port. At 1536H earlier,
dredger Jiang Shun and vessel Guo
Liang 7 reported to the Search and
Rescue centre in Hebei province that they
took in water 25nm E of Jingtang port,
with a total of 10 crewmembers in danger.
Then, at 1728H the rescue helicopter B7312 based in Penglai, Shandong airlifted
the four crewmembers on board Guo
Liang 7 to Penglai, with the six
crewmembers on board Jiang Shun
evacuated to another rescue vessel, Hua
Yue. At 1638H, the Search and Rescue
centre in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, reported
that dredger Cheng Tong 7 sank 40nm
NE of Jingtang port, with six
crewmembers falling into the water. At
1833H, rescue vessel Bei Hai Jiu 111
saved all six crewmembers and sent them
back to Qinhuangdao at 2145H same day.
30 Jun Six people / One boat / Rescue
Operations / off Papua New Guinea
Details: A half-dozen people who swam
ashore when their boat was lost at sea off
Papua New Guinea were being treated

aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy,

which is deployed on the annual Pacific
Partnership Mission. She dispatched
helicopters to Han Island, a small
landmass near Carteret Island, to pick up
the survivors from the boating mishap. The
Navy said the survivors include a mother
and her 18-month-old child. Helicopter
crewmen aboard the USNS Mercy were
unable to find other survivors, but Papua
New Guinea authorities are continuing a
search mission, according to the Navy.
30 Jun Nineteen crewmembers /
Cargo Ship / Rescue Operations / 20nm
N of Surabaya / Indonesia
Details: 19 crewmembers were evacuated
from an Indonesia-flagged Cargo Ship that
caught fire some 20nm N of Surabaya,
Indonesia. Local authorities dispatched
two tugboats to assist the crew. The vessel
is currently anchored at Karang Jamuang
Pilot Station. The fire apparently started in
the engine room of the 3,000 DWT
Meratus Sumbawa 1, and spread to the
vessels superstructure. The 1990-built
freighter was en route to the port of
Maumere, Flores Island, Surabaya. There
is currently no information on the type of
cargo the vessel was transporting at the
time of the incident. No injuries to the
crew have been reported so far. The vessel
is still burning, and the efforts to
extinguish the fire are on going. MV
Meratus Sembawa 1 is operated by
Indonesias Meratus Line.
02 Jul 38 dead / Ferry / Capsized / off
Ormoc City / Philippines
Details: At least 38 people died after a
ferry carrying 189 passengers and crew
capsized off Ormoc city 950km S of
Manila. Initial information provided by
the Philippine Coast Guard said 118 of the
passengers and 16 of the boats crew,
including the captain, had been rescued,
but up to 33 were still missing. The ferry
MBCA Kim-Nirvana, was just 1km
from port when it capsized.

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A survivor told the networks on-site
stringer that the boat was loaded with
hundreds of sacks of cement and rice. The
boat was headed from Ormoc City towards
Pilar town in the Camotes Islands, E of the
island province of Cebu in central
Philippines. Several survivors were
transported to at least two hospitals.
Divers have been sent, as the authorities
started Search and Rescue operations. At
least seven rescue boats picked up dozens
of survivors.

battered by big waves. Authorities are

contacting big vessels with radio
communication that may transit in the
vicinity so they can keep a look out for any
of the seven fishermen.
One patrol
gunboat was also dispatched to conduct the
Search and Rescue operations.
21 Jun 4 missing fishermen / Fishing
boat / Search and Rescue operation / Off
Kemaman / Malaysia
Details:
The
Malaysian
Maritime
Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has
deployed 16 personnel in a ship to locate a
boat carrying four fishermen, who were
reported missing in the waters off
Kemaman. Kemaman Maritime Base
Command said the Search and Rescue
(SAR) operation for the boat has been
extended to a radius of 30nm from the
waters off Kemaman. The patrol vessel,
KM Gemia was deployed to track the
class B fishing boat.

Events reported outside of the period:

21 Jun 7 fishermen still waiting for
rescuers / Boat capsizes / Off Islas de
Gigantes, Panay / Philippines
Details: A pumpboat carrying seven
fishermen capsized between Islas de
Gigantes in Panay and Madridejos town in
Bantayan Island, Cebu. The Philippines
Coast Guard Central-Eastern Visayas
Command said the motorized fishing boat
"Inday Sweet" capsized after it was

Natural Events
NSTR
Weapons Trafficking
NSTR
Maritime Terrorism
NSTR

Irregular Human Migration

27 Jun 45 people / Fishing Boat /
1.2nm NE of the Sungai Bernam river
mouth / Malaysia
Details: A ship captain's attempt to use a
fishing boat to transport illegal immigrants
out of the country failed when he was
caught in the act by a team of officers from
the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement
Agency (MMEA).

A total of 45 people, believed to be

Indonesians, were found on board a Class
C local fishing boat, which was flagged for
inspection when it was heading towards
Indonesian waters some 1.2nm NE of the
Sungai Bernam river mouth beacon.

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Events reported outside of the period:
26 Jun 78 people arrested / Boat /
65nm off Kirinda / Sri Lanka
Details: Sri Lanka Navy arrested 78
people while they were attempting to
travel to Australia illegally by boat. Navy
Spokesperson said that out of the 78
arrested, 17 were Sinhalese while 59 were
Tamils. The illegal immigrants were
arrested at 1230H, 65nm off Kirinda and
were taken to the Galle Harbour by Navy

officials. Those arrested were then handed

over to the Galle Police
26 Jun 9 people arrested / Human
Smuggling / Kedah / Malaysia
Details: A human trafficking syndicate in
Kedah has been busted with the arrest of
nine foreigners. Inspector-General of
Police said the suspects - seven Myanmar
nationals and two Bangladeshis - were
detained on Monday.

Contraband Trafficking
27 Jun 3 people / Contraband
cigarettes / Pulau Timba-Timba /
Malaysia
Details:
The
Malaysian
Maritime
Enforcement Agency (MMEA) foiled an
attempt to smuggle in 210 cartons of
contraband cigarettes worth RM8,400 off
the waters of Pulau Timba-Timba in
Semporna. District Maritime Enforcement
Chief said that three men, comprising a
skipper and two Filipino crew, aged
between 20 and 41, were also detained
after they failed to produce valid
documents. A maritime team patrolling
the area did the seizure and arrest. All
those detained were brought to the
maritime jetty in Semporna to facilitate
investigations under the Immigration Act
and the Customs Act.
30 Jun Contraband cigarettes / Jalan
Kuala Krai / Malaysia
Details: The Kelantan Anti-Smuggling
Unit (UPP) seized 88,520 cartons of
contraband cigarettes worth RM10 million
after raiding a store at Batu 2, Jalan Kuala
Krai. Its commander said the raid was
carried out following surveillance and
intelligence work by the agency since last
April on the premises, believed to have
been rented by a syndicate, for their illegal
activities. During the raid, the store was
not occupied. The case will be handed over

to the Royal Malaysian

Department for further action.

Customs

02 Jul Wooden Ferry / Smuggled rice /

Zamboanga City / Philippines
Details: The authorities have intercepted a
wooden-hulled ferry loaded with an
estimated P6.4 million worth of smuggled
rice off Zamboanga City. Police Director,
said the vessel, M/L Julmina, was
intercepted near Siromon Island, Barangay
Panubigan.
The
combined
police,
Coastguard and barangay officials were on
seaborne patrol when they spotted the
vessel near Siromon Island, an inhabited
isle in the region. According to the crew of
the vessel, the estimated 8,000 sacks of
rice came from Sandakan, Sabah. A local
businesswoman owns the rice shipment.
Meanwhile, the vessel and its cargo will be
turned over to the Bureau of Customs for
proper disposition.
03 Jul Speed boat / Contraband
cigarettes / Sandakan / Malaysia
Details: The Marine Operation Force
(MOF) seized 746 packs of contraband
cigarettes in the waters off Tanjung Pasir.
Its Regional commander said the MOF
patrol team spotted a speedboat laden with
goods in the waters off Tanjung Pasir at
around 0130H. As the MOF patrol team
approached the boat, it immediately sped
off without stopping despite being ordered

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to do so. The skipper also escaped from

the boat by jumping into the sea. All the
confiscated cigarettes worth RM34,856
were referred to the Customs Department
for further action. They are believed to
have been smuggled in from the
Philippines.
Events reported outside of the period:
22 Jun Motor Launch / Contraband
sugar / Zamboanga / Philippines

container imported by Sea Hawk Traders

and found besides declared 2,880 dozens
of Air Freshener, there were 5,100 boxes
of cigarettes of 'Gudang Garam' brand,
Made in Indonesia, concealed at the back
of the container. The value of smuggled
cigarettes was approximately worth Rs 65
lakh. The total seizure value of the goods
was Rs 71.50 lakh. The total estimated
evasion of Customs duty is Rs 65 lakh
approximately. The goods have been
seized and two men arrested.

Details: The Bureau of Customs

confiscated some 2,500 sacks of imported
sugar worth about P5.7 million at a private
wharf in Zamboanga. Police Regional
Office for Zamboanga Peninsula said BoC
personnel backed by operatives of the local
police and Philippine Navy apprehended
M/L Nur Ena docked at Varadero de
Recodo. During an ocular inspection, the
raiding team found the motor launch boat
loaded with an estimated 2,500 sacks of
imported white sugar. The boat skipper
and other personnel of the vessel failed to
show to the raiding team pertinent
documents showing the legality of the
shipment of sugar.
22 Jun 9 persons arrested / Dry Sea
Cucumber / Kalpitiya / Sri Lanka
Details: Naval troops attached to SLNS
Vijaya in Kalpitiya of the North Western
Naval Command, on information received,
arrested 9 persons with 1341 kilograms of
dry sea cucumbers along with 2 FGDs, 1
Tata Dimo Batta truck and 2 Bajaj three
wheelers in the Thoreiadi area in
Kalpitiya.
25 Jun 2 persons arrested / Smuggled
cigarettes / Nhava Sheva / India
Details: The Central Intelligence Unit of
Nhava Sheva Custom today seized
imported cigarettes worth Rs 65 lakh and
arrested two people in this connection.
Acting on information, the Central
Intelligence Unit of Jawahalrlal Nehru
Custom House, Nhava Sheva, examined a
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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.

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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