maritime intelligence report series · ransomware ransomware attacks target companies of all...
TRANSCRIPT
1
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”30th August 2017 Issue 91
Maritime Intelligence Report Series
2
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
MAST ServicesMAST has the experience, capability and global presence to provide comprehensive support to our clients.
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
This report is copyright of Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST) © 2017. All rights reserved.
This report is intended to provide general information about maritime intelligence topics but does not provide individual advice and the creators assume no liability for the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of any information contained herein, or though links you will find in it. Further-more, using this report or sending MAST emails does not create a service provider- client relationship. It is intended only as an introduction to ideas and concepts only. It should not be treated as a definitive guide, nor should it be considered to cover every area of concern or regarded as an advice.
If you copy from this report, you have to refer to Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST) Ltd as the source of the copied material.
You may not, except with our express written permission, commercially exploit the content.
Maritime
• Counter piracy
• ISPS services
• Training
• Dispute Resolution - Arundel Resolution
Risk Consulting
• Due Diligence
• Risk management
• Crisis management
• EOD Services
• Training
Technical Yacht Security
• Cyber Assurance Services
• System Design, Installation and Maintenance
• Bespoke Access & Oversight Capabilities
• Vessel Wide Risk System Integration
• Project Survey and Audits
• Technical Consultancy
• Cyber Risk Consultancy
• TSCM Sweeping Services
• Comms Vulnerability Assessments
Physical and Asset Protection
• Close Protection
• Residential Security
• Security Chauffeurs
• Events and Clubs
• Training
3
MAST UK+44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected]
MAST Singapore+65 8302 [email protected]
24/7 Emergency Telephone:+44(0) 117 916 6012
The Maritime Intelligence Report Series focuses on:
• Operational risks in areas of instability which could affect the safety of commercial and private vessels and personnel ashore and at sea.
• In country reporting on key countries where civil con-flict are directly impacting on maritime operations; and
• Reporting and analysis of incidents of terrorism, pi-racy and other related criminal activity. MAST has a global reach and presence, delivering firsthand, accurate and exclusive intelligence. MAST isentrenched and committed in continuing to supportand promote the awareness of the very real risks thatseafarers and other stakeholders face. This Intelligence Report Series is a brief snapshot ofMAST’s Intelligence capabilities. MAST Intelligencespecialises in providing clients with a suite of products and services, including; political and economic risk analysis, detailed port and vessel security briefs, vessel passage plans, threat and risk mitigation and travel risk management. Working closely in conjunction with a host of experts,MAST Intelligence offers a market leading service per-taining to all maritime affairs.
Follow MAST on LinkedIn and Twitter to keep abreast with these insightful weekly reports and more — in-cluding real time security updates.
Editor: David Riderwww.mast-security.com
30th August 2017
Issue 91 of the series reviews, analyses and threat assesses the fragile and conflict affected coastal states Libya, Somalia and Yemen. The Mediterranean migrant crisis, incidents affecting maritime security and influencing maritime news are also reported and analysed, focusing on the keys theatres of maritime instability.
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
Issue 91
Contents:Mast Services
Maritime Cyber Threat
Indian Ocean region
Somalia
Yemen
Yemen Ports
Mediterranean
Libya
Gulf of Guinea
South East Asia
Central & South America
Severe Weather Warnings
Page2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
4
Maritime Cyber Threats – Exclusive Lisa Forte, a Cyber Protect Officer for the Police Cyber Crime Unit in the UK is onboard with MAST’s cyber awareness campaign. Lisa comments and advises on 2 key threats and the fundamentals of protecting from cyber-attacks. This article follows on from MAST’s recent co-presenting on maritime cyber security with Shipowners P&I Club. A link to the webinar can be found below the article.
Tackling the cyber threats to the maritime sector
There’s a plethora of information on the cyber threat to the maritime industry. It is argued that attackers could take over your guidance and positioning systems and steer your ship wherever they want. Or that attackers could hold your port to ransom by stopping all your automated processes. This is all true, and some of these complicated attacks may have already happened in some limited cases. Whilst you should devote time and attention to mitigating these potential threats, a risk as-sessment of the cyber landscape shows that we need to focus on the real cyber-crimes that are happening right here, right now. In my role I see the same attacks used across all industry sectors. The majority of cyber threats are indiscriminate. They don’t care if you are an orthodontist or an oil carrier. As long as you have money and you have internet connected devices then you are a target. In this article I am going to talk about two threats that you should have on your radar.
Ransomware
Ransomware attacks target companies of all shapes, sizes and locations. It encrypts your data making it unreadable and the perpetrator then demands money to release it. The most com-mon way that it gets onto your systems is via links or attach-ments in emails. These emails are getting increasingly believ-able and difficult to spot.
What are the solutions?
1. Don’t let the emails reach your users in the first place. Us-ing methods like the DMARC protocol and having strict rules on your email filters is a great start. Staff training to spot these emails is also money well spent.
2. “Backup early, backup often”. This is the best way to mitigate the impact of ransomware. If you have a backup you can hope-fully restore all your files.
3. Plan for the worst. Even with backups you are looking at some downtime. Companies that have a business continuity plan in place for a cyber-attack are far more likely to survive an incident.
Working for law enforcement I would never advocate paying the ransom, you may not get your data back or it may be corrupted. Paying a ransom also increases the chance of being added to a list of “companies that pay” causing you to be hit again.
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
Insider Threat and Data Exfiltration
Do you know exactly what data you hold and where that data is located? Who can access it? One thing I see time and time again with cases that involve data exfiltration is that the staff (and directors) have way too much access. In maritime this ap-plies both in the office and onboard your vessels. Frequently when people move roles they end up accumulating permissions to access files. This is a bad idea. Imagine that you are an at-tacker. You identify a target shipping company and prepare to break into their systems, grab their sensitive data and make some money. You find an account for an employee, you brute force his password and enter the network. Your next step would normally be to escalate his account permissions to access desir-able files. This could take some time. Luckily this employee has access to every file, folder and system. That has just made your job much easier! Employee permissions are like keys, not eve-ryone needs access to everything. Speak to your IT team about having a permissions audit done.
Another aspect of data exfiltration is insider threat. In the UK and the USA it is now unusual for departing employees not to steal anything when they leave - even if they are not disgrun-tled. If your employees can access everything they could steal everything. Another reason to go back and check the limita-tions on everyone’s accounts! You can buy a 64GB USB stick for £20 which will store nearly 200,000 documents. That’s a lot of critical information! Train your employees to report suspicious behaviour of other staff and check unusual activities on em-ployee accounts, should Kevin really be working from home on at 2am on a Sunday?
The fact is that you will never stop all attackers. Like with any crime, a lot of attackers will move on if the attack isn’t straight-forward and almost automated.
Cyber-crime is a serious threat to shipping. It is important to stay up to date with current threats, train your staff and have a plan for the attacks you are most likely to experience.
Lisa Forte is a Cyber Protect Officer for the Police Cyber Crime Unit in the UK. For any questions or to request any further guid-ance email [email protected] or htt-ps://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-forte/
Shipowners P&I Club cyber security webinar co-hosted by MAST. To watch the recording, please click here.
5
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
Indian Ocean Region Iran and Indonesian navy commanders on Thursday discussed boost of cooperation between the two countries, Tasnim news agency reported. Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and his Indonesian counterpart, Ade Supandi, held the meeting in the Indonesian island of Bali on Thursday 24th. An Iranian delegation have attended the third International Maritime Security Symposium (IMSS) 2017 in Nusa Dua, Bali.
Incidents: 1. MV reported sighting 4 skiffs with 5 to 6 POB at 0302 UTC in position 13:00.12N - 043:10.24E, around 24nm NW of Perim Island, Bab el Mandeb, Red Sea. Vessel reports seeing one lad-der on board two of the skiffs, no weapons were sighted. Skiffs CPA no less than 0.8nm. AST showed weapons and skiffs turned away. Vessel safe Reported August 28th (UKMTO).
Sri Lankan Navy to increase sea marshals for foreign shipsNew navy commander Vice Admiral Travis Sinniah said Sri Lanka as a conflict-free nation in South Asia was well placed to protect international shipping between the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden to Straits of Malacca. He said they were seeking to increase commercial operations providing armed on-board protection to commercial vessels vulnerable to hijackings, especially by So-mali pirates.
Protecting sea lanes what is Sri Lanka’s role?The Sri Lankan PM said the Navy would have to prepare for a role where it would be called upon to protect not only Sri Lanka’s territorial waters but also the seas of the entire Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean as well - “from the Maldives to the Strait of Malacca.” The PM went so far as to say Sri Lanka should arm
itself with more ships, planes and weapons for this purpose.
IRGC drones continue to buzz US NavyThe Pentagon is researching methods to deter, defeat or disable the drones flown by Iranian naval assets. According to senior officers on board the USS Nimitz, Iranian drones fly over the car-rier strike group almost daily.
UKMTO issues updated guidanceUKMTO Notice 001 August 2017 contains guidance for vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Manbeb Strait has been issued by UKMTO. For full details, please click here.
Threat AssessmentTo read about MAST’s services and standing threat assessment in the Indian Ocean Region, please click here.
Hijack
Kidnap
Approach/Attack
Suspicious Activity Theft
1st December 2015 HRA limits
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
1
6
SomaliaSomali forces supported by U.S. troops shot dead 10 Somalis, including three children, in a village near the capital Mogadishu on Friday 25th, a witness and local officials told Reuters. The involvement of U.S. troops was confirmed by U.S. Africa Command, which said it was investigating reports of civilian casu-alties. The Somali army initially said no civilians were killed and all the dead were members of the al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab militia, which is fighting to overthrow the weak U.N.-backed government and impose strict Islamic law.
Control of Somali territory (February 2017) Source: Wikime-dia Commons
al Qaeda: Senior Al Shabaab commander killedA senior commander in al-Shabaab, Somalia’s al-Qaeda-affiliat-ed Islamist rebels, was killed last month in a US airstrike, the group said on Saturday 26th in an online statement. Somalia said at the time that its military and allied foreign troops had killed the man identified as Ali Moahmed Hussein or Ali Jabal, believed responsible for several bombings.
200 Turkish Soldiers Arrive in MogadishuThe first group of Turkish Military of around 200 soldiers arrived in Mogadishu on Wednesday 23rd, local media reported. Up to 200 military instructors and soldiers arrived in Mogadishu and will be stationed at the Turkish military camp in Mogadishu’s Jazeera. The military training facility will train Somali military officials and soldiers.
Bomb kills two KDF soldiers, injures othersAt least two KDF soldiers were killed on Monday 28th when their Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) triggered off a roadside
bomb explosion in Damasa Lafey Sub County, Mandera. Three others were injured in the explosion that badly damaged the APC.
Somalia says no to Saudi offer, stands by QatarSaudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have of-fered the government in Mogadishu an additional 68mn eu-ros ($81mn) to join the boycott of Qatar. However, the Somali president has sided with Qatar. Somalia has maintained good relations with Qatar despite Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain continuing to demand that Mogadishu break off rela-tions with Doha.
Al Shabaab/ISIS• Al Shabaab leader Abu Mujahid surrendered to Somali Na-tional Army (SNA) troops in Garbaharey, Gedo region, southern Somalia on August 29th, according to a SNA commander.
AnalysisAl Shabaab continues to mount operations against civilian and military targets in Somalia, seizing military bases and equipment before being driven off by AMISOM forces. The group has been in-creasingly active in recent weeks, despite combined action against them from Somali, African Union and US forces. Threat AssessmentSomalia held Presidential elections in February 2017. After a peaceful transition of power, Somalia continues to face familiar problems. Al Shabaab frequently ambushes AMISOM and local se-curity forces denying any significant process to the shaping of a sta-ble country which is vital before Somalia can tackle humanitarian and economic issues. Somalia is recovering from a severe drought which led to widespread famine with an identified 2.9 million peo-ple facing food insecurity. Youth unemployment in Somalia has not improved with 67% of Somali male youths aged between 14 to 29 unemployed. Pirate financiers offer lucrative and attractive opportunities, and were seen to be increasingly active in the last inter-monsoon period. Somalia continues to be a permissive loca-tion for kidnap and ransom piracy operations. Somalia has both an EU and UN arms embargo in place under UNSCR Resolution 2317 in place until November 2017, which will likely be extended. The ongoing threat to shipping in the region has been made clear by the military bodies which monitor the region. A lack of adherence to BMP4 protocol, particularly not maintaining a safe distance off the coast, has increased risks to shipping. BMP4 advises: “non-Somali fishing vessels should avoid operating or transiting within 200nm of the coast of Somalia, irrespective of whether or not they have been issued with license to do so”. Merchant vessels would be wise to maintain the same distance from the coast, particularly ensuring that the Socotra Gap isn’t taken. All vessels are advised to update risk assessments and register with UKMTO/MSCHOA prior to entering the Indian Ocean High Risk Area.
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
Under control of Al Shabaab and allies Under control of neutral forces Under control of Government and allies Somaliland Government Territory disputed by Puntland and Somaliland
7
Control of Yemen territory (Aug. 29th 2017)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
YemenA US military Black Hawk helicopter crashed around 20 miles off the southern coast of Yemen while training its crew, leaving one service member missing, officials said. Five others aboard the aircraft were rescued, officials said in a statement issued by US Central Command. The crash took place on the even-ing of Friday 25th. Officials said the crash was under investigation.
Growing tension could shatter Al Houthi-Saleh allianceTension between supporters of Yemen’s ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Al Houthis is raging unabated for the second week despite placatory gestures from their leaders. Both sides have exchanged accusations over tapping state funds and a plot to kill the ousted president on Thursday 24th.
AQAP/Houthi-Saleh• AQAP attacked al Houthi-Saleh forces in Dhi Na’im area, cen-tral al Bayda governorate, central Yemen on August 28th and in Qayfa area, northwestern al Bayda governorate on August 27th.
Threat Assessment Bordering the southern Red Sea and the GoA, Yemen’s civil warshows no sign of abating. At present, neither side has the military superiority to reunite the country under a single gover ment. The front lines have remained relatively stable for the last few months, but no political solution has been agreed upon, de-spite UN led negotiations. The resultant humanitarian crisis in Yemen is severe and deepening with 14.1 million people identi-fied by the UN as currently at risk from extreme hunger and famine.Not entirely surprisingly given that the Saudi led coalition re supplies its military operations from the sea, the conflict has spilt into the maritime domain. The main protagonists have been the Houthi rebels and they have been remarkably suc-cessful at targeting warships and auxiliary vessels with missiles, anti-tank rockets and remotely controlled boats laden with e plosives. While it is possible that a commercial vessel could fall victim to poor targeting the most worrying development is the deployment of sea mines by the Houthis in the entrances to harbours. We believe these have been locally manufactured
and the clear and present danger is that any that are not iden-tified and removed by the Saudi forces will in time break free from their moorings and drift. While there is little cause for con-cern right now, this is something we will be watching closely for in the coming months.The terrorist threat, attributed to AQAP, has been demon-strated against LNGC Galicia Spirit in October 2016 and MT Muskie in May 2017. Both were attempted but failed attacks which o curred in the BAM and were against fuel laden vessels. The intent of the attacks was to detonate a bomb either on or alongside the target vessel in order to cause a spectacular and/or considerable environmental damage which would detrimen-tally affect navigation through the strait. Official reports on the Galicia Spirit detail evidence of attempted boarding and sub-stantial damage to the hull and superstructure of the vessel. The bomb detonated prematurely and was supported by RPG and small arms fire. Similarly, the second attempt on the MT Muskie failed. It is feasible that a similar attack will be attempt-ed in the future.Advice from the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), recom-mends that merchant traffic transiting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea are advised to pass through the area between 44 00 East in the Gulf of Aden and 13 00 N in the Southern Red Sea during the hours of darkness and exit the Traffic Separation Scheme to the West of the Hanish Islands in daylight hours. The frequency of these incidents, where vessels are approached and in some cases attacked by armed men in small boats, indi-cates that the threat assessment remains ‘Substantial’ – an at-tack is a strong possibility.
MAST recommends BMP measures be enforced and watches strengthened during transits in the region.
Houthi
Pro Hadi Government Forces
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
8
UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM)
The UN’s Secretary-General has decided to institute a UNVIM for the facilitation of commercial imports to Yemen, at the request of the Government of the Republic of Yemen and in line with Security Council resolution 2216 (2015).
UNVIM is operational with immediate effect. Shipping companies or vessel owners shipping commercial goods or services to any port not under the direct control of the Government of Yemen (Salif, Mokha, Hudaydah and associated oil terminals) need to ap-ply for permits upon departure of the port of origin of their cargo. For further details click here.
UN arms embargo imposed by UN Security Council Resolution 2216 of 2015 is in place.
Port Aden:
• The port of Aden is under the protection of the Republic of Yemen security forces.
• Merchant vessels wishing to enter Yemeni ports must first apply for a permit through the Yemeni Ministry of Transportation; contact: [email protected] for more information.
• Final clearance to enter Yemeni ports (with permits in place) is authenticated by the coalition guard ship.
• Port Ash Shihr: Fully operational.
Port Salif: Fully operational.
Port Hudaydah: Fully operational.
Port Mokha: Status - Closed: Currently classified as ‘Not Safe’.
Port Al Mukalla: Fully operational.
Port of Balhaf: Status - Closed: LNG terminal remains closed. Now under control of Saudi and Yemeni forces.
Port of Ras Isa: Status - Closed. Safer oil terminal remains closed, Safer Company (SEPOC) does not allow vessels to berth at Safer Marine Terminal if they do not have an agreement signed by them according to the protocol between buyer and Yemeni government.
Yemen PortsNothing significant to report.
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
9
Mediterranean Seven African and European leaders have met in Paris to try to build a new relationship aimed at cutting migration into Europe from northern Africa in return for aid. On Monday 28th, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Spain agreed to help Chad and Niger with border control to stem the flow of migrants through Libya and across the Mediterranean.
Arrivals by Sea to Europe (January - June 2017)In 2017, between January and June, 99,865 refugees and mi-grants crossed the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa and Turkey. Most crossed the central Mediterranean from Libya to Italy. The top five countries of origin during this period were Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Bangladesh, Guinea (Conakry) and The Gambia.
Anti-migrant crew members land in Malta, ending missionCrew members of the C-Star, the ship chartered by far-right group Defend Europe, came ashore Sunday 27th in Malta in the final chapter of a fraught effort to disrupt the flow of mi-grants from across the Mediterranean.
Why Stopping NGOs Won’t Solve The Migrant Crisis“You don’t solve the migrant crisis at sea, you solve it on land,” Dr Persi Paoli, Research Leader on Defence, Security and In-frastructure at think tank Rand Europe says. “The moment a migrant reaches the coast and they jump in a boat, that’s al-ready too late.”
Libyan Navy, Coast Guard prepared for the fight against il-legal immigrationThe Libyan Navy official spokesperson, Brigadier General Ayoub Qasim, stated that they are prepared to tackle the is-sue of illegal immigration and the new tactics being used by human traffickers.
The current migrant smuggling situationThe current situation for migrants attempting to cross from Libya is grim. Very few NGO missions remain in the region following on-going threats from Libyan Coast Guard assets to fire on them on sight should they enter Libya’s TTW; although the CG themselves have been operating outside it, according to reports. News that an armed group is operating in Sabratha and appre-hending migrants comes as no surprise. Sabratha has a long as-sociation with fuel smuggling and it is not uncommon for gangs to hijack one another’s cargo, be that human or otherwise. Fuel smugglers resent the attention people smugglers bring, al-though the ultimate victims are the migrants caught up in this lawlessness. The drop in migrant numbers crossing continues to vex chari-ties and agencies who have been expecting numbers to remain stable. It may well be that pressure in Libya combined with the withdrawal of NGO rescuers has led to fewer crossings, although this is unconfirmed.
Map depicting major migrant routes in the Mediterranean (Aug. 29th 2017). Source: UNHRC
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
Migrant crossings 2015-2017. Source: UNHRC
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
10
LibyaThe Libyan coastguard has arrested an oil tanker and taken it to Tripoli on suspicion of trying to smuggle oil out of the country. The vessel is reported to be the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged, Levante. “The Libyan Coast Guard has seized the ship, which is estimated to be about 149 meters long, trying to smug-gle 6,000 tons, equivalent to 6 million litres of oil,” navy spokesman Ayoub Gasim announced in Tripoli.
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
ISIS releases new propaganda video from central LibyaThe radical group of ISIS has released new video footage that shows its militants setting up a checkpoint in central Libya. Last week, ISIS fugitives attacked Al-Fugaha checkpoint in Al-Jufra, killing at least 10 Dignity Operation fighters allied to Field Mar-shal Haftar.
AnalysisThe return of Islamic State to the Al-Jufra region will be seen as a challenge to Haftar’s rule. After months of fighting to liberate Sirte, his Libyan National Army (LNA) forces are likely to begin a new campaign against the Islamists in order to maintain Haf-tar’s powerbase. Reports from the region suggest that the Gov-ernment of National Accord (GNA) has done a deal with Italy which will see militias being paid to turn back migrant boats in Libya’s waters. This move has not been welcomed by other gov-ernments who recognise that many militias operate in a legal vacuum. Continuing oil supply issues, with pipeline shut downs due to militia actions, have led the NOC to warn that production is currently down by 360,000 barrels per day (bpd), costing the country around $160 million in oil revenue. To combat this, the NOC will be using a sea route to supply Zawiya refinery after the Sharara, El Feel and Hamada oilfields were closed.
There has been no news on when peace talks between the HoR and GNA may take place. However, it is possible that rival mili-tias are again challenging Haftar’s forces on behalf of the GNA. Ports currently operational in Libya are: Mellitah, Zawiyah, Trip-oli, Misrata, Marsa El Brega, Tobruk, Al Khoms, Marsa El Hariga. Farwah, Bouri, Zuwarah, Zuetina (currently offline) and Es Sider.
Threat AssessmentWith Libya’s focus on maintaining oil output in order to feed the economy, there are risks to the oil and gas sector from militias loyal to the GNA unity government who have attacked termi-nals and pipelines in the past. Recent calls by the National Oil Company (NOC) to the EU, asking for EUNAVFOR engagement in anti-fuel smuggling interdictions are unlikely to be met by the EU. Instead, further equipment and training has been offered to the Libyan Coast Guard. The suggested Code of Conduct for NGO rescue missions operating off the coast of Libya would see the Coast Guard given more control over rescue missions, and further equipment and funding has been promised by the EU this week. This may see an increased CG presence in the region and Masters should be aware.Vessels should ensure they have the correct permission from the appropriate authority before entering Libyan waters. The arrest of the oil tanker MT Levante on Sunday 27th, highlights the risk to merchant shipping in the region. The vessel is ac-cused of being involved in oil smuggling, and its 20 Filipino crew are being detained by the GNA. There have been reports of Libyan Coast Guard vessels abusing their power, particularly concerning migrants. The majority of vessels calling at Libyan ports are trouble free, however there is scope for vessels to encounter local issues. It is advised that before visiting a risk assessment is conducted on the area of operation and the fast moving political and military situations monitored closely.MAST is able to provide risk assessments and crew training to improve situational awareness and risk appreciation. The addi-tional threat to shipping should not be taken lightly.
Control of Northern Libyan territory (August 29th 2017)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Controlled by the Tobruk led government
Controlled by the Government of National Accord
Controlled by ISIS
Controlled by local forces
Controlled by Tuareg forces
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
11
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
Gulf of GuineaThe Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has stated that it remains the authentic voice of the Niger Delta region. The forum, in a rejoinder signed by the Coordinating Secretary, Dr Alfred Mulade and made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State, requested all stakeholders to be wary of elements ‘whose intents and activities are inimical to peace, stability and development of the Niger Delta region.”
Incidents: 1. Late Report: Deck watch keepers onboard an anchored LPG tanker noticed a robber near the STBD side poop deck and in-formed the OOW who raised the alarm at 2155 UTC in position 04:54.35N – 001:39.69W, Takoradi Anchorage, Ghana. Hearing the alarm and seeing the crew alertness, the robber jumped overboard and escaped with his accomplice waiting in a boat. On carrying out a thorough search, it was reported that the ship’s properties were stolen. Reported August 4th (IMB).
Navy intercepts 1.1m litres stolen diesel off Rivers coastThe Nigerian Navy has intercepted about 1.1 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil believed to have been stolen from pipe-lines belonging to multinational oil companies in Rivers State. 13 suspects, all male of Nigerian nationality, were arrested due to their alleged role in the illegal shipment of the petroleum product to undisclosed locations in the state.
Shell begins Gbaran-Ubie Phase 2 production in Niger DeltaPhase 2 follows the success of the first phase of the Gbaran-Ubie integrated oil and gas development, which was commis-sioned in June 2010. Eighteen wells have been drilled and a new pipeline constructed between Kolo Creek and Soku which con-nects the existing Gbaran-Ubie central processing facility to the
Soku non-associated gas plant.
Nigerian offshore fields get third Guardian security vesselNigeria’s Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Ltd has taken delivery of Guardian 3, the third of four Damen 3307 patrol ves-sels. The vessels provide security and other support services to international offshore oil companies active in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria in cooperation with the Nigerian Navy.
Nigeria’s oil output in July slightly below 1.8 mln bpd -ministerNigeria’s oil production, excluding condensates, was slightly be-low 1.8 million barrels per day in July, the country’s oil minister said on Thursday 24th. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, speaking on the sidelines of an event in the capital, Abuja, said there had been issues with aging pipelines.
Threat AssessmentTo read MAST’s current Threat Assessment on the Gulf of Guin-ea region, please click here.
Kidnap
Approach/Attack
Suspicious Activity
Theft
4°30’
5°00’
4°00’
3°30’
7°00’6°30’ 7°30’5°00’ 5°30’ 6°00’ 8°00’4°30’
6°00’
5°30’
3°30’ 4°00’
Hijack
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
1
12
South East AsiaJapan is set to join hands with the UNODC in combatting pirates belonging to Islamic extremist group Abu Sayyaf, which is apparently loyal to the Islamic State (IS) militant group, and has attacked numerous commercial vessels off the Philippines. As part of its efforts to step up countermeasures against terror in Asia, Tokyo will support maritime police forces in the Philippines and other countries to prevent extrem-ist groups from expanding.
Hijack
Kidnap
Approach/Attack
Suspicious Activity
Incidents: Nothing significant to report.
7 killed in clash between Jul Hamidi clan and Abu Sayyaf in SuluSeven persons, including four members of the Abu Sayyaf Group, were killed in a clash in Barangay Bud Bunga in Talipao, Sulu on Tuesday 29th. Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of Joint Task Group Sulu, said the clash was between the Jul Hamidi clan and the Abu Sayyaf led by Al Arod.
Abu Sayyaf bandits behead abducted ex-soldier in BasilanAbu Sayyaf bandits beheaded a retired army soldier who was re-cently abducted in Basilan and his severed body and head were found later in Upper Mahayahay, Maluso, Basilan province.
Esszone curfew extended to September 11thThe curfew in waters off seven districts under the Eastern Sa-bah Security Zone (Esszone), which ends tomorrow, has been extended to September 11th, said Sabah Police Commissioner Ramli Din. Ramli said the curfew was extended to prevent the intrusion of terrorists who threatened the security of interna-tional researchers and tourists visiting the resort islands in the affected areas.
Malaysia sets boat ablaze as it turns up heat on illegal fishingMalaysia for the first time set fire to a foreign boat for fishing illegally in its waters on August 30th, as it turns up the heat on trespassing trawlers. Porous maritime borders are a constant problem for Malaysia and its Southeast Asian neighbours, which struggle to keep foreign fishing vessels from operating illegally in their waters.
MMEA finds millions in cash stashed in boatThe Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) today discovered RM3.32 million cash in Malaysian Ringgit and Singa-pore Dollar worth RM326,000, stashed in a boat, some 126 nau-tical miles, from Kuala Kemaman. The cash found was believed to be proceeds from the sale of smuggled fuel.
Threat AssessmentTo read MAST’s current Threat Assessment on the South East Asia region, please click here.
MAST is able to provide an armed protection solution to clients transiting the region. Please contact us for further details.
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
Theft
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
13
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
Central and South America Nothing significant to report.
Incidents: Nothing significant to report.
Standing advice: The repercussions of a vessel being caught acting as a mule with drugs stowed will depend on the type, amount and national laws, but may be disruptive and costly. When and if operating in these areas, especially Columbia and Peru, it is advised that: • Potential stowage areas such as rudder shafts are denied as far as possible, and/or routinely searched. • Access points are closely monitored by a vigilant watch for the duration of the vessel’s call at port.
Hijack
Kidnap
Approach/Attack
Suspicious Activity
Theft
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
14
“Making the world a safer place to live and work”
Severe Weather Warnings Warnings detailed on this page are from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and are issued by respective Regional Specialised Metrological Centres, Tropical Cyclone Centres or National Meteoro-logical Services. For further information on severe weather warnings please click here.
Note: The forecasts are correct as of the day before publication. For latest updates please follow the provided links.
MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com
Ten oil refinery plants in the Houston area and Corpus Christi are shutting down because of the storm, according to a report released Sunday by S&P Global Platts. They normally have the capacity to refine about 2 million barrels of oil per day.