Latest ONI Worldwide Threats to Shipping Report (to 27 May 09)

The latest ONI Worldwide Threats to Shipping Report (to 27 May 09)can be found
here. Highlights:

1. NIGERIA: Oil platform attacked 26 May 09 in the Niger Delta region off the coast of Nigeria. Approximately five men in a speedboat approached an oil platform in Amenam field
and reportedly exchanged gunfire with Nigerian security forces onboard a naval vessel in the area. The security forces were able to repel the attackers, according to sources at the scene (Reuters).
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2. NIGERIA: Vessel robbed 21 May 09 at 0320 local time while anchored in Lagos roads. Six robbers armed with automatic weapons boarded the vessel. They broke down the captain and chief officer’s cabin doors and stole cash. The captain raised the distress signal. The robbers left 20 minutes later after stealing personal property (IMB).
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3. NIGERIA: Tanker (CM SPIRIT) hijacked 13 May 09 while underway in the Chanomi Creeks in the Niger Delta. The vessel was reportedly transporting petroleum products to the Warry refinery with 15 crew members onboard. The crew members were freed two days later by Nigerian security forces (Reuters, Tradewinds.no, LM: Xinhua).
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4. NIGERIA: Vessel (CHIKANA) hijacked 13 May 09 while underway in the Chanomi Creeks in the Niger Delta. The vessel was reportedly transporting oil equipment to Warri ports (Tradewinds.no, LM: Xinhua).

H. INDIAN OCEAN-EAST AFRICA:
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1. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier (ANTONIS) fired upon 26 May 09 at 0430 local time while underway in position 13:05N – 048:58E. Two skiffs with four armed men onboard each approached the vessel from the port side and opened fire with machine guns. The vessel conducted evasive maneuvers, opened up fire hoses, and fired rocket flares at the skiffs to in order to prevent the men from boarding. The two skiffs aborted the attack after approximately 45 minutes (Operator, IMB, AP).
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2. GULF OF ADEN: Bulk carrier fired upon 25 May 09 at 0028 local time while underway in position 13:11N – 049:19E. Four armed men in a skiff approached the vessel from the port quarter and opened fire. The captain mustered the crew and conducted evasive maneuvers while reporting the incident to nearby coalition forces. After approximately 10 minutes, the skiff aborted its attack (Operator, IMB).
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3. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel (MARIA K) fired upon 22 May 09 at 0900 local time while underway in position 13:13N – 049:10E. One speed boat with nine men onboard fired an RPG at the vessel and missed. Coalition forces nearby responded, and the men in the skiff aborted the attack 10 minutes later and proceeded toward another vessel in the vicinity. The speed boat was eventually seized by coalition forces (Operator, IMB, AP).
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4. GULF OF ADEN: Vessel reported suspicious approach 22 May 09 at 1120 UTC while underway in position 12:53N – 048:02. A small boat was observed 3NM away on the starboard side. A small skiff then detached from the boat and started approaching the vessel’s stern, coming as close as 1.5NM. The vessel informed naval warships on VHF Ch. 16 and conducted evasive maneuvers. The suspicious skiff was white colored and had 3 men onboard. The skiff eventually aborted its pursuit and moved back to the possible mother ship (Operator, IMB).

3. PHILIPPINES: Police in the southern Philippines said they had foiled a bomb attack at a busy port, 25 May 09. The bomb was disarmed after employees of the Superferry shipping company's ticketing office in Butuan city's port of Nasipit alerted maritime police to a suspicious package left on the premises, police said. Ordnance experts called to the site found that the package contained a powerful bomb made from ammonium nitrate, an agricultural chemical used by insurgents to make explosives. Regional police commander Chief Superintendent Jaime Milla said no one claimed responsibility for the attack, although Islamic militants as well as crime gangs specializing in extortion are known to operate in nearby provinces. Milla said security had been stepped up at all ports and other key installations in the city to prevent any further attacks (AFP).

More on the last report here:

Members of the Explosives and Ordinance Team of the 1032nd Maritime Police were immediately dispatched to the area to recover the IED, which was later found to be home-made consisting of less than half a kilo of ammonium nitrate with nails connected to an electrical detonating device, Milla said.

Police immediately detonated the IED and no was hurt in the incident.

Milla said police have yet to identify which group was responsible for planting the IED, but said that it was “uncharacteristic or different from the bombs being used by terrorists in other parts of Mindanao.”