IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

AFPN 6504
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
3 August 15

INFORMATION FUSION CENTRE

MARSEC WEEKLY REPORT
25 - 31 July 15
Figure 1: Location of Incidents in IFC Area of Interest

For the period from 25 - 31 Jul 15, IFC received information as follows:
IUU Fishing

Piracy / Sea Robbery / Sea Theft

Irregular Human Migration

Weapons Trafficking

Maritime Incident

12

Contraband Trafficking

10

Maritime Terrorism

Natural Event

Note: Of the events above, 8 IUU Fishing, 3 Irregular Human Migration, 6 Maritime Incident, and 5 Contraband
Trafficking incidents occurred outside of the reporting period.

1
IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

OVERVIEW OF INCIDENTS
Piracy/Sea Robbery/Sea Theft
25 Jul - Sea Theft/ 26NM East of Pulau
Karimun Besar / Singapore

27 Jul - Attempted Sea Theft /10.3nm East

of Pulau Karimun Besar / Panama

Details: A Sea Theft incident occurred on

board a Singapore-flagged Bulk Carrier at Lat
01 3.48N, Long 103. 39.42E, 26NM East
of Pulau Karimun Besar, on 250200H Jul 15.
Two armed perpetrators were spotted stealing
spare parts in the engine room. The
perpetrators and their craft were not spotted by
the anti-piracy watchmen and lookouts during
their approach and boarding. Bridge was
informed and alarm was raised and the crew
mustered. The two perpetrators escaped from a
small speedboat. Some spare parts were
reported missing. No injuries were reported.

Details: An attempted sea theft incident

occurred on board a Panama-flagged
Chemical/Product Tanker at position 01
03.60N 103 36.70E, 10.3nm East of Pulau
Karimun Besar on 270110LT Jul 15. Ship
reported 3 perpetrators on board at 270110LT
Jul 15 and conducted a search on board but no
perpetrators were found. Nothing was stolen
and no injury to crew.

26 Jul - Suspicious Approach/ 10.3nm East

of Pulau Karimun Besar / Panama
Details: A suspicious approach made to the
Panama-flagged Crude Oil Tanker at Lat 01
04.7N, Long 103 36E, 10.3 nm East of Pulau
Karimun Besar on 260540LT Jul 15. The ship
master sighted a small boat between 15 20m
in length, with white canopy astern of her. The
boat sped off and headed towards Nipa
Anchorage.
26 Jul Sea Robbery / Tamiang Waters,
Aceh, Malacca Strait / Indonesia
Details: A Sea Robbery incident occurred on
board a Indonesian-flagged Fishing Vessel at
Lat 04 53N, Long 098 37E, Tamiang
Waters, Aceh, Malacca Strait, on 26 July. Two
armed perpetrators went on board and threaten
the crew with guns. They took vessels
documents, electronic equipment, mobile
phones and fuel before fleeing. Crew was
unharmed.

27 Jul - Attempted Sea Theft / 8nm West of

Pulau Pemping / Portugal
Details: An attempted sea theft incident
occurred on board a Portugal-flagged Bulk
Carrier at Lat 01 04.4N, Long 103 39.7E, 8
NM West of Pulau Pemping on 300300H Jul
15. The vessel reported 4 perpetrators on
board the poop deck. Alarm was raised and the
4 perpetrators escaped and jumped overboard.
A search was conducted on board. Nothing
was stolen and no persons were injured.
31 Jul - Attempted Sea Theft / Philip
Channel / Cyprus
Details: An attempted sea theft incident
occurred on board a Cyprus-flagged Bulk
Carrier at position Lat 01 06N, Long 103
44E, 5nm West of P. Pemping on 310150H Jul
15. Ship reported presence of 5 perpetrators on
board at 310150H Jul 15. Ship crew conducted
a search on board which was completed at
310234H Jul 15. No perpetrators were found,
nothing was stolen and no injury reported.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

27 Jul Illegal Fishing / Detained and
Arrest / 0.7 NM off Kukup and Pontian
Waters / Malaysia
Details: Three local fishing boats were
detained by the marine police for flouting their

license by illegally using trawlers outside the

permitted fishing zones. They were arrested
0.7nm off the Kukup and Pontian waters while
fishing in the non-permitted zone.

2
IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

Events occurred outside of the reporting
period:

23 Jul Illegal Fishing / Arrest / Tonle Sap

/ Cambodia

7 Jul Illegal Fishing / Arrest / Arippu Sea

/ Sri Lanka

Details: Military police and Fisheries officials

in Siem Reap province on Thursday arrested
11 ethnic Vietnamese fishing illegally on the
Tonle Sap. The 11 personnel were using
outlawed electrocution equipment and smallhole nets in an area threatened by over fishing.

Details: Naval craft arrested 8 fishermen with

1 Fibre Glass Dinghies (FGD) and 10
monofilament nets while engaged in illegal
fishing in the Arippu sea area on 7 July 2015.
14 Jul Illegal Fishing / Arrest / The sea of
Kokkuthuduwai in Mulativu / Sri Lanka
Details: Naval craft arrested 14 persons with 6
FGD on the suspicion of their engagement in
illegal fishing in the seas of Kokkuthuduwai in
Mulativu on 14 July 2015. One purse-seine
net, 14 CFL bulbs and 5 generators were also
taken into custody during the arrest.
21 Jul Illegal Fishing / Arrest / Davao
Gulf / Philippines
Details: The first violator of this year's fishing
ban in Davao Gulf was caught last July 21.
The violator was identified as Fishing Banca
(F/BCA) Three Sisters of Lupon, Davao
Oriental.
21 Jul Illegal Fishing / Arrest / Waters of
Barangay / Philippines
Details: A 33 gross ton fishing boat was
apprehended by the Philippine Coast Guard in
Palawan on 21 July due to several maritime
violations in the vicinity waters of Barangay
Calindangan, Aracelo. F/BCA Shiela HPV and
its 10 crew members have no coastwise
license. Its boat captain likewise has no license
and there was no marine diesel mechanic, and
all crew were operating unlicensed.

24 Jul Illegal Fishing / KRI Clurit

Captured Two Illegal Fishing Vessel / in
Natuna Waters / Indonesia
Details: Indonesia Navy Ship arrested two
illegal Vietnamese fishing vessels found
conducting IUU fishing in the Natuna Waters
(04 39N 108 33E).
24 Jul Illegal Fishing / MMEA Detained
Cloned Fishing Boat / Water of Bambangan
Island / Malaysia
Details: MMEA detained a cloned fishing boat
manned by 14 fishermen from Vietnam in the
waters of Pulau Bambangan near Kudat. The
boat was found with fake registration number
and documents.
24 Jul Illegal Fishing / Detained and
Arrest / Near Kendi Island / Malaysia
Details: Twelve Indonesians in two fishing
vessels were detained by the marine police
near Pulau Kendi for fishing in Malaysian
waters illegally. The vessels were also seized.

Irregular Human Migration

Events occurred outside of the reporting
period:

on board MV Trisha Kerstin 2 while en-route

from Zamboanga City bound for Bongao.

21 Jul Human Trafficking / Bongao,

Tawi-tawi / Philippines

22 Jul 12 Pinay Trafficking Victims

Rescued / Menado / Indonesia

Details: A 37-year old victim was rescued

from human trafficking by a composite rescue
team in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi on July 21. The
victim Maria Victoria Sarco Cerna was found

Details: Philippine officials were able to

rescue 12 Filipina victims of a human
trafficking syndicate who brought them to
Manado, Indonesia while en-route to the
Middle East.

3
IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

23 Jul Working Without Permit / Arrest /
Coast of Sattahip / Thailand

and arrested its Captain and 3 Cambodian men

who were working without a permit.

Details: A Patrol Vessel caught up with a boat

2nm off the coast of Sattahip near Jan Island
Maritime Incidents
26 Jul Drowned or Murder / Waters off
Kampot Province / Cambodia
Details: Conflicting stories surround the death
of a Cambodian fisherman in waters off
Kampot province. A witness said he was
brutally murdered by a Vietnamese crew
following tensions over illegal fishing, but
Cambodian authorities insist he drowned in an
accident.
27 Jul Capsized or Ran Aground / 48
Vietnamese safe / Waters off South Chinas
Guangxi Zhuang / China
Details: A total of 48 Vietnamese crew
members of six cargo ships have been saved in
waters off south China's Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region. The Vietnamese vessels
had either capsized or ran aground in the sea
near the city of Fangchenggang due to stormy
weather and huge waves.
28 Jul Disabled and Adrift / Philippine
Sea / 120nm East of Kagoshima
Details: On July 28, 2015, a bulk carrier was
reported disabled and adrift in the Philippine
Sea 120nm east of Kagoshima near
Nakonoshima Island. The bulk carrier was enroute from Point Samson to Oita.
29 Jul Disabled and Adrift/ 31 Crew Safe /
Sea Near Paracels / Vietnam
Details: A salvage ship rescued a fishing
vessel with 31 crew members which was
found drifting at sea near the Paracels. The
fishing boat's engine had broken down,
leaving the vessel adrift on rough seas for the
days.
30 Jul Boat Capsized / One Missing /
Batang Sadong, Kuching / Malaysia
Details: A 13-year-old boy feared to have
drowned when a boat he and five others were

travelling in capsized after being hit by a barge

at Batang Sadong in Simunjan.
30 Jul Bulk Carrier / Aground / 30km Off
Man Aung Area, Rakhine State / Myanmar
Details: A Bulk Carrier ran aground onto a
reef 30 km off the beach of Man Aung area,
Rakhine State, Myanmar, on July 30, due to
bad weather. Crew were reported to be still on
board and stranded on the vessel. Currently the
Myanmar Navy is conducting rescue
operations, but are facing challenges due to
rough weather. Rescue operation is still on
going.
Events occurred outside of the reporting
period:
7 Jul Fishing Boat Capsized / Crew saved
/ Sea Off Davao Oriental / Philippines
Details: Three fishermen survived a three-day
ordeal at sea off Davao Oriental after big
waves capsized their fishing boat. A passing
foreign vessel rescued the three 84 nautical
miles off Lawigan in Mati, Davao Oriental.
22 Jul Capsized Motor Banca / Waters of
Roxas, Palawan / Philippines
Details: Coast Guard Sub Station Roxas
rescued three fishermen from their capsized
motor banca at the vicinity waters of Roxas,
Palawan on July 22. Strong winds and big
waves caused their fishing banca to capsize.
The team rescued the three fishermen on
board, who were all in good physical
condition.
23 Jul Freighter Capsized After Collision
with Tanker / Wusong Area, Shanghai,
Yangtze River / China
Details: A General cargo vessel collided with
a tanker at around 0100 LT July 23 in Wusong

4
IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

area, Shanghai, Yangtze River. The General
Cargo vessel suffered breaches on her portside
with water ingress and danger of sinking.
Tanker suffered bow damages, but no water
ingress and no cargo leak reported. Tanker
was docked shortly after collision while the
General Cargo vessel was taken to anchorage
but was reportedly listed due to small leakage.
Crew were safe.
19 Jul Fishing Boat Sprung Leak and
Sank / Bagan Sungai Kajang Beach /
Malaysia
Details: Six members while on a worshipping
trip drowned when their overloaded fishing
boat sprung a leak and sank three nautical
miles from Bagan Sungai Kajang beach. The
police said that the boat was not in good
enough condition to be taken out to sea and
that the man at the helm was not qualified for
the task.

Details: Crews of four freighters were rescued

by HK Air Rescue off Hong Kong during the
night and in the morning July 21. No details
on vessels condition. Vessels in distress
identified as a General Cargo vessel Zhong
Chuan 19, General Cargo vessel Jin Tai Yi 3,
General Cargo vessel He Hang 233 and
General Cargo vessel Hong Hai 286.
23 Jul Sink / Four Chinese Sailors
Rescued / Hong Kong Waters / China
Detail: Four Chinese sailors fell into the sea
before dawn as choppy waves caused their 50metre-long cargo vessel to list to one side and
eventually sank. The four mainland Chinese
men were navigating in Hong Kong waters on
their way to Dongguan, Guangdong province,
when they were hit by big waves at about
230515LT. All four were saved by marine
police and ferried to Tuen Mun Hospital.

21 Jul Crews Rescued / Hong Kong

Waters / China
Natural Event
26 Jul Strong Quake / No Tsunami
Warning / South of East Java / Indonesia
Details: A strong undersea earthquake hit
Indonesia's main island of Java on 26 July, but
there were no immediate reports of injuries or
damage, and no tsunami warning was issued.

The United States Geological Survey said the

magnitude-6.0 quake was centred 93
kilometres (58 miles) south of the East Java
province town of Krajan Tambakrejo, at a
depth of 59 kilometres (37 miles).

Contraband Trafficking
25 Jul Recover 94 Kg of Sea Cucumber /
Hidden at Karadakkuli / Sri Lanka
Details: Sri Lanka Navy Ship recovered 94
kilograms of sea cucumber packed in 2
polysack bags at Karadakkuliya beach in
Mullikulam on 25 July 2015. The recovered
items were handed over to the Assistant
Fisheries Director (Puttalam) for further
action.
25 Jul CGA / Alleged Smuggling Ring
Busted/ Island of Kinmen / Hong Kong,
China
Details: The Coast Guard Administration
(CGA) busted an alleged smuggling ring in the

outlying island of Kinmen, China. Three

Taiwanese fishermen and two Chinese
nationals were detained and questioned, and
the cargo was seized. The contraband included
different goods and foodstuffs.
27 Jul Oil Smuggling / Thai Boat /
Vietnamese waters
Details: Vietnamese coast guards found
containers with illegal diesel on two Thai
boats which were selling to two Vietnamese
fishing boats on July 24. One of the Thai boats
was carrying around 100,000 litres of diesel
with three Thai people and four Cambodians
aboard. The other, which was carrying

5
IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

300,000 litres of the oil, had six Cambodians,
together with four Thai and a Lao person.
They could not produce legal documents for
the oil.
28 Jul Rice Smuggling / West Coast of
Zamboanga/ Philippines
Details: Police had intercepted and seized a
shipment of smuggled rice with an estimated
value of P300,000 and arrested three persons
around 0900LT at the shore of Purok 2 in the
village of Sinunuc in Zamboanga City. The
sacks of rice are being unloaded from a smalltype watercraft locally known as jungkung.
Policemen confiscated a jungkung marked
Marwhiza loaded with around 300 sacks of
rice of 25 kilos each. The new modus operandi
of the smugglers is that they moor the vessel
loaded with rice at the high seas and use
jungkung to transport the cargo to the shore to
avoid detection.
30 Jul 5 Crore Smuggled Goods Seized /
Chennai / India
Details: Sleuths of the Directorate of Revenue
Intelligence (DRI) seized a contraband worth
5.20 crore which was smuggled in containers
through Chennai Port. DRI officials tracked
two containers shipped from Malaysia in
which the goods were hidden. The seized
items included Indonesian clove cigarettes,
LED TV sets, home theatre systems, ACs,
DVD home theatre systems, soaps, perfumes,
and food supplements. DRI arrested one
Mathivanan and remanded him to judicial
custody.
Events occurred outside of the reporting
period:
6 Jul Drug Smuggling / Sea North West
Mannar / Sri Lanka
Details: Sri Lanka Navy Ship arrested four
Indian nationals with approximately 46
kilograms of Cannabis (Kerala Ganja) whilst
transferring from India to Sri Lanka in the seas

north west of Mannar in the early hours of 6

July.
10 Jul Drug Smuggling / Four Suspects
Arrested/ Iloilo / Philippines
Details: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
arrested four suspected drug pushers in a buybust operation past 0300LT after P600,000
worth of shabu (methamphetamine) was
seized from them.
21 Jul Cigarettes Smuggling / Miri /
Malaysia
Details: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement
Agency (MMEA) busted an attempt to
smuggle six containers filled with 27 million
sticks of contraband cigarettes worth RM32.9
million in Miri. Cargo vessel Ulticom 93,
carrying 135,200 cartons of the smuggled
goods of various brands, was intercepted at 3.5
nautical miles off Miri River estuary by an
elite MMEA task force from Kuala Lumpur
(Star team) and local MMEA enforcement
officers.
23 Jul Drug Smuggling in Frozen Tuna /
Kaohsiung Port / Taipei
Details: Taiwan seized a stash of
amphetamines worth more than 1.4 billion
(RM40 million) hidden in frozen tuna cargoes
at Kaohsiung port. The two containers headed
for Japan's Shimizu port held 138kg of the
drug which was hidden in plastic bags and
stuffed into the bellies of the fish. So far three
people have been detained in connection with
the case.
24 Jul Charcoal Smuggling Gang /
Shenzhen / Hong Kong, China
Details: Shenzhen Customs officers have
apprehended 11 people smuggling 2,834 tons
of charcoal into overseas markets through
Hong Kong. The smugglers put large amounts
of charcoal into small packages. They then hid
them in ships' cargos to escape customs
inspection. The charcoal was then re-packaged
in Hong Kong and shipped to Japan and South
Korea.

6
IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY

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.

7
IFC RELEASABLE TO MARITIME INDUSTRY