Armed guards plan to tackle piracy

Vulnerable cargo ships off the coast of Somalia may be given armed guards by an EU task force being sent to combat the huge surge in piracy there. The British naval commander in charge of the operation, vice admiral Philip Jones, said the EU’s warship flotilla would seek to place “vessel-protection detachments” on board some [...]

Somali Pirates hijack chemical tanker Biscaglia

Somali pirates have hijacked yet another tanker on Friday, November 28, 2009. The Liberian-flagged chemical tanker MS Biscaglia was sailing through the Gulf of Aden, between Somalia and Yemen, when it was boarded by five pirates in in broad daylight. The MS Biscaglia was staffed by a crew of three Indonesians, 25 Indians, two British [...]

When will the Merchant Shipping community tighten security?

According to the Associated Press (2008), pirates seized the 530-foot-long freighter Faina off of the coast of Somalia. The ship was carrying 33 T-72 tanks, a substantial quantity of ammunition, and spare parts. This is a series of lucrative business adventures of coastal pirate groups who undertake these swift measures to financially assist themselves [...]

Kaptain Uskov went missing with 17 Russians on board in Pacific, an act of piracy?

The rescue center at Vladivostok, in Russia’s Far East, said on Thursday (January 24, 2008) that the cargo vessel Kapitan Uskov with 17 Russian crew on board was missing in the East China Sea.