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
17 May 15

INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

MARSEC WEEKLY REPORT
09 - 15 May 15

Figure 1: Location of Incidents in IFC Area of Interest

For the period from 09 15 May 15, IFC received information as follows:
Piracy / Sea Robbery / Sea Theft

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated

Fishing (IUU) Fishing

Irregular Human Migration

Weapons Trafficking

Maritime Incident

Contraband Trafficking

Natural Event

Maritime Terrorism

Note: 1 x IUU Fishing Incident, 2x Contraband Trafficking Incident, 9 x Maritime Incident and 1 x Piracy/Sea
Robbery/Sea Theft Incident were reported out of the reporting period.

OVERVIEW OF INCIDENTS
Piracy/Sea Robbery/Sea Theft
09 May Two Bulk Carriers/
Attempted Sea Theft / 3nm North of
Pulau Pemping
Details: Two perpetrators armed with long
knives boarded the stern-part of a Bulk
Carrier, off Pulau Pemping at 090156H .
The perpetrators escaped after security
alarm sounded. No losses or injuries were
reported.
On a separate incident, five perpetrators
who were sighted in the engine room of a
bulk Carrier, off Pulau Pemping at
090312H. The perpetrators escaped after
security alarm sounded. No losses or
injuries were reported.
10 May Chemical Tanker/ Attempted
Sea Theft/ Dumai Tanker Anchorage/
Marshall Islands Flag
Details: The crew of an anchored Marshall
Islands registered chemical tanker noticed
two perpetrators trying to gain access into
the engine room by opening the butterfly
nuts of the skylight. Ship alarm was raised
and the perpetrators escaped. There were
no injuries and nothing was reported
stolen.

11 May Bulk Carrier/ Sea Theft/ Phu

My Anchorage/ Singapore Flagged
Details: Master of a Singapore registered
Bulk Carrier reported about a sea theft
incident, while the vessel was anchored at
Phu My anchorage. The Master reported
some stores and missing and the deck store
1 and 2 padlocks were found broken.
13 May Container Ship/ Attempted
Sea Theft/ 6nm Southeast Pulau Nipa/
Malaysia Flagged
Details: Master of Malaysian container
ship MTT TAWAU reported to POCC
Singapore, about sighting of unknown
number of perpetrators on board at
0336LT on 13 May. The master later
reported no items stolen and no
perpetrators found at 0448H, after their
search.
Events reported outside of the period:
08 May General Cargo Ship/ Sea
Theft/ South China Sea
Details: Master of a General Cargo Ship
reported some engines spares missing
while en-route to Xiamen China. Vessel
departed Singapore on the 6 May 15 at
2145 LT.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

09 May Foreign Fishing Vessel/ 330
Ton Illegal Catches/ Sedili/ Malaysia
Details: Foreign fishing vessel, with 38
foreign crewmen, was under investigation,
by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement
Agency for unauthorised anchoring and
330 ton of illegal fishing catches.

09 May Six Foreign Fishermen/

Fishing Without Permits/ Langkawi
Island/ Malaysia
Details: Six foreign fishermen arrested by
Malaysian authority, for fishing without
permit off Langkawi.

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10 May Three Foreign Fishing

Vessels/ Illegal Fishing Area/Gulf of
Thailand/ Thailand
Details: Three foreign fishing vessels,
with 23 foreign crewmen, were charged by
Thailand authority for breaking
immigration law and illegal fishing
activities after being caught off an oil drill
platform in the Gulf of Thailand.
11 May Three Groups Of Local
Fishing Vessels/ Fishing Without
Permit/ Anhawan Island, Ajuy /
Philippines
Details: Three groups of local fishermen
were caught without permit for fishing off
Anhawan Island, Philippines.
11 May Local Fishing Boat/ Danish
Siene Fishing/ Waters of Barangay San
Francisco, Barotac Viejo/ Philippines

waters and fish without permit, 42 nm

from Pulau Kendi.
12 May Nigeria Registered Vessel And
Kiribati Registered Tugboat / RM 23
Million Worth Of Toothfish/ 3.5 nm
South-East Tanjung Penyusup/
Malaysia
Details: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement
Agency seized RM 23 million worth of
toothfish from a Nigeria registered vessel
and a Kiribati registered Tugboat about
3.5nm south-east of Tanjung Penyusup on
9 May.
14 May A Passenger Launch/
Contraband Current Net/ Meghna
River/ Bangladesh
Details: Bangladesh authority seized
contraband current nets, used illegally in
fishing, a passenger launch on the Meghna
river in Chandpur district on 14 May.

Details: Local fishing boat arrested and

charged for using Danish Siene fishing net,
while fishing in waters off Barangay San
Francisco, Barotac Viejo, Philippines.

Events reported outside of the period

11 May Three Foreign Fishing Boats/

Fishing Without Permit/ Pulau Kendi/
Malaysia

Details: A foreign fishing vessel, with six

crew members, was caught by the
Philippine Coast Guard on 7 May and was
charged on 8 May for poaching in waters
off Batanes, Philippines.

Details: Three foreign fishing boats, with

11 crew members, were seized by the
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
(MMEA) after it entered into Malaysian

07 May A Foreign Fishing Vessel/

Poaching/ Batanes/ Philippines

Maritime Incidents
09 May Tanker/ Fail to Report
Arrival/ Pulau Manukan/ Malaysia

09 May Offshore Ship/ Distress Signal/

Southern Coast Kalimantan/ Indonesia

Details: Malaysia Maritime Enforcement

Agency, Kota Kinabalu, detained a tanker,
with 18 foreign crew members, 5nm from
Pulau Manukan, for failing to report their
arrival into the waters of Malaysia.

Details: An offshore ship issued a distress

signal on May 9, 2015, at 1700hr at 03
42S 112 30E in the Java sea around 15
miles south of the southern coast of
Kalimantan Island, west of Banjarmasin.

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10 May Boatman Kidnapped/ Sea off
Pangutaran Island/ Philippines
Details: A boatman was kidnapped by a
gunmen at sea off Pangutaran Island, near
the southern Filipino province of Sulu was
released unharmed.
11 May Fish Carrier/ Aground off
Yeosu/ Korea Strait
Details: A fish carrier ran aground off
Yeosu, South Korea, Korea Strait, in the
morning May 10. Korean Coast Guard is
assisting to prevented fuel leakage.
11 May Fisherman Dead/ Strike By
Storm/ Quang Ninh/ Vietnam
Details:
A 19-year-old fisherman in
central Thanh Hoa Province, reported
missing after a whirlwind struck his boat
was found.
13 May Two Vessels/ Collision/ Lauis/
Philippines
Details: Two vessels, MV Starcraft 9 and
MV Our Lady of Faith, involved in a
collision in Lauis Ledge, off Talisay City,
were under preventive suspension.
14 May Cargo Carrier/ Aground off
Nagoya/ Japan
Details: A cargo carrier ran aground off
Nagoya, Japan, in the morning 14 May.
Events reported outside of the period

05 May Cargo Vessel/ Aground Due

Mis-Navigation/ Waters in Barangay
Bawing/ Philippines
Details: A cargo vessel ran aground off
water in Barabgay Bawing, due to misnavigation while avoiding fishing vessels
on 5 May. The vessel was safely removed
on 7 May by Philippines Coast Guard.
06 May Cargo Ship/ Aground / Water
off Kerobokan Beach/ Indonesia
Details: A cargo ship, loaded with cement,
ran aground 500 m off Kerobokan Beach
in Southwestern Bali on May 6, while en
route to the Moluccas archipelago,
Indonesia. There were 17 crew members
on board and the vessel is awaiting
salvage.
07 May Nine Filipinos Rescued/
Distress Motor Boat/ Waters off
Vietnam/ South China Sea
Details: A Vietnam fishing vessel rescued
nine Filipinos, including a one-year-old
baby, from a drifted small boat with engine
failure in water off Vietnam.
07 May 17 Rescued/ Distress Motor
Boat/ Engine Failure/ Bohol Province/
Philippines
Details: 17 people, comprising 10 local
tourists and seven crew members, were
rescued by the Philippines Coast Guard,
after their boat experience engine failure in
water off Cabilao Island, Bohol Province,
Philippines.

05 May Cargo Vessel/ Aground Due

Mis-Navigation/ General Santos City,
Mindanao/ Philippines
Details: A cargo vessel ran aground, due
to a navigational error, near General
Santos City, Mindanao on May 5. The
vessel was refloated in the morning of
May 7 with the help of the Harbor Star
Shipping Services.
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07 May Fast Craft and Motor Boat/
Collision/ Ormoc Port/ Philippines

08 May Tanker and Fishing Vessel /

Collision/ Busan/ Korea

Details: A fast craft, with 162 passengers,

encountered engine trouble and collided
with a motor boat on 7 May in Ormoc
Port. One of the passengers on the fast
craft was injured. The masters of both
vessels were under investigation by Coast
Guard Centre Ormoc.

Details: A tanker and a fishing vessel

collided on May 8, off Busan. The three
crew members from the fishing vessel
were rescued after it sank, while the tanker
was taken into Busan.
08 May Distressed Cargo Vessel With
33 Personnel Rescued/ Engine Failure/
Lugus Island, Sulu/ Philippines

08 May Landing Craft/ Capsized /

Somber, Balikpapan/ Indonesia

Details: Philippines Coast Guard rescued

33 personnel from a distressed cargo
vessel, with engine failure, while on its
way to South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi.

Details: A landing Craft capsized, killing

the master and injured six others. Many
gas cylinders were adrift, as the craft was
carrying 37,000 3kg gas cylinders.

Natural Event
NSTR
Irregular Human Migration
10 May 150 Personnel Adrift/ North
Aceh Waters/ Indonesia

12 May 116 Illegal Migrants/ St

Martin/ Bangladesh

Details: Aceh Search and Rescue (SAR)

agency evacuated 150 foreigners, on
wooden boat reported to have been adrift
in the waters of the Malacca Strait. The
150 foreigners have been handed over to
the Immigration Agency.

Details: Bangladesh authorities detained a

trawler, with 116 illegal migrants, in the
Bay of Bengal off St Martin, on 12 May.

10 May 469 Boat People Stranded/

North Aceh Waters/ Indonesia

Details: Indonesian authority arrested

seven foreign national, who were charged
with committing human trafficking and
slavery in the remote island of Benjina,
Indonesia.

Details: Aceh Search and Rescue agency

rescued 469 foreigners, including women
and children, on wooden boat stranded in
the waters off North Aceh.
10 May Over 1000 Illegal Migrants/
Langkawi/ Malaysia
Details: Malaysian authority intercepted
three boats, with more than 1000 illegal
migrants, trying to land in Langkawi.

12 May Seven Arrested/ Fishery

Slavery/ Benjina/ Indonesia

13 May Over 500 Illegal Migrants/

Penang/ Malaysia
Details: Malaysian authority found more
than 500 illegal migrants abandoned by
their traffickers, off the coast of Penang on
13 May.

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Contraband Trafficking
10 May Five Arrested/ 1,500 Ton Rare
Earths/ Shandong/ China

12 May Seven Men/ 2,340kg of Live

Crabs/ Jalan Apas/ Malaysia

Details: China authority arrested five

suspects involved in smuggling 1,500 ton
of rare earth into east China Shandong
Province in 10 May.

Details: The Marine Operations Force

(MOF) foiled an attempt, by seven men, to
smuggle in about 2,340kg of live crabs
into Sabah through the Tawau waters.

10 May Four Arrested/ 360 Kg Sea

Cucumbers/ Tuticorin/ India

13 May Seven Men Detained/ 500,000

Yaba Tablets/ Chittagong/ Bangladesh

Details: Indian Authority arrested four

people, in Tuticorin, on charges of
smuggling 360 kilograms of endangered
sea cucumbers.

Details: Bangladesh authority detained

seven crew members from a fishing
trawler, who were found smuggling
500,000 Yaba tablets, in Chittagong.

11 May 13 Arrested/ Smuggling

Indian Pangolin/ India

Events reported outside of the period:

Details: Indian Authority arrested 13

people involved in smuggling Indian
pangolins to China and Vietnam.

7 May Two Sampans/ 4 Million HK

Dollars Worth of Electronic Products/
Hong Kong/ China

12 May Drug Gang Nabbed/ 1.5

Million
Methamphetamine
Pills/
Mekong River/ Thailand

Details: Hong Kong Customs foiled a

suspected smuggling attempt and seized
about 4 million HK dollars (about 520,000
U.S. dollars) worth of undeclared
electronic products from two sampans.

Details: Members of a drug gang had been

arrested carrying more than 1.5 million
methamphetamine pills, while delivering
the drugs across Mekong River to Nong
Khai province.

8 May 10 Arrested/ US$116,000

Worth of Illegal Cigarette/ Quang Ninh/
Vietnam
Details:
Vietnamese
Authority
confiscated a large haul of 80,000 packs of
smuggled cigarettes, worth US$116,000,
and arrested 10 crew members, from a
ship, in Quang Ninh.

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.

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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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