2024 in piracy explained

2024 in piracy included 33 reports of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships to the International Maritime Bureau during the first quarter of the year. Incidents included 24 vessels boarded, six of which experienced attempted attacks; two hijacked; and one fired upon. Crew continued to suffer violence, with 35 crew taken hostage, nine kidnapped, and one threatened during the first three months of the year.[1]

Piracy surged in the Gulf of Aden at the start of the year.[2] Increased incidents of piracy and hijacking in the Somali basin continued to be reported.[3] When Houthis began attacking international shipping in the Red Sea, the year before, Somali pirates seized the opportunity to increase their attacks on ships off the Horn of Africa.[4] [5]

Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea extended beyond the Israel-Hamas war to, as stated by a Houthi spokesman in January 2024, response to "American-British aggression against our country". US Central Command then stated that the Houthi attacks "have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza" and that Houthis had "fired indiscriminately into the Red Sea" to target vessels, affecting more than 40 nations.[6]

In March, shipping routes reported as the most dangerous in the world due to piracy (aside from hijackings and other incidents in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden related to the Israel-Hamas war) were identified as: the Singapore Strait, Gulf of Guinea and the Strait of Malacca.[7]

Attacks and events

INS Sumitra

On January 29, the INS Sumitra rescued a hijacked fishing boat from Somalia pirates in the Gulf of Aden.[8] [9]

MV Abdullah

On March 12, armed pirates in small boats attacked Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier .[10] All 23 crew members aboard were taken hostage.[11] Somali pirates released the vessel and crew on April 14, following payment of $5 million (€4.7 million) ransom.[12]

MV Ruen

On March 16, MV Ruen, following its hijacking in the Gulf of Guinea in December 2023,[13] was rescued by the Indian Air Force, which airdropped two rigid inflatable combat boats carrying eight Indian Navy MARCOS commandos,[14] rescuing 17 sailors and disarming 35 pirates on board.[15] [16] [17] Later that month, India escorted the captured Somali pirates to stand trial for the hijacking the vessel and kidnapping of its crew in Mumbai.[18]

Magalie

See also: Haitian crisis (2018–present). On April 4, the Panama-flagged Magalie was attacked in the Caribbean[19] by two Haitian gangs: 5 Seconds and Taliban. (Unrelated to the Afghan Taliban.) The Magalie was captured by the armed gangs in the Varreux fuel terminal at Port-Au-Prince. The crew was taken hostage and a sixth of the cargo, consisting entirely of rice (the primary staple food of Haiti), was stolen. On April 7, the Haitian National Police stormed the seized freighter, ensuing in a five-hour gun battle with the gangs,[20] in which two police officers were injured and several of the two gang's members turned pirate were killed.[19] The ship, owned by U.S. shipping company Claude and Magalie,[21] [22] was recovered by the Haitian police force.[20] The fate of the crew and any other seafarers aboard the Magalie, who were all taken hostage, remained unknown.[21]

Al-Kambar 786

On March 28, Al-Kambar 786, was boarded by nine armed pirates southwest of the Yemeni island of Socotra. INS Sumedha and INS Trishul intercepted the vessel on March 29. The Indian Navy engaged in "over 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures" that led to the pirates' surrender. The crew was unharmed.[23] The pirates were taken to India to face prosecution under its Maritime Anti-Piracy Act 2022.[24]

See also

Red Sea crisis—2024 Houthi attacks on commercial vessels

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New report highlights continued threat of Somali piracy 2023 03 IMB Report 1 . icc-ccs.org . Commercial Crime Services . 23 April 2024.
  2. Web site: 2024-01-10 . Terrorism, militancy and pirates: Gulf of Aden hijacking underlines naval challenges . 2024-04-23 . The Indian Express . en.
  3. Web site: Paying the price may cause piracy to rise . safety4sea.com . 16 April 2024 . Safety4Sea . 23 April 2024.
  4. News: Bangladeshs growing role in maritime security . 3 May 2024 . observerbd.com . The Daily Observer.
  5. News: Prices for maritime security guards in Red Sea shoot up following Houthis attacks . 3 May 2024 . TASS . Russia.
  6. News: Houthis attack British-linked tanker Marlin Luanda in Gulf of Aden . 8 May 2024 . BBC News.
  7. News: Pirates, hijacks and hurricanes: The world's most dangerous shipping routes revealed . 5 May 2024 . TBS News.
  8. Web site: 2024-01-29 . Indian Navy rescues Iranian vessel hijacked by pirates . 2024-04-24 . Hindustan Times . en.
  9. Web site: Disruptions to supply chains on the high seas . FleetWatch.co.za . 3 May 2024 . 3 May 2024.
  10. Web site: Pirates seize control of cargo ship near Somalia, say owners . 2024-03-14 . Al Jazeera . en.
  11. Web site: Live Piracy & Armed Robbery Report 2024. icc-ccs.org . Commercial Crime Services . 23 April 2024.
  12. News: Abdiqani . Hassani . Somali pirates say hijacked ship MV Abdullah released after $5 million (€4.7 million) ransom was paid . 23 April 2024 . Reuters.
  13. News: Crew members missing after Gulf of Guinea pirate attack . 23 April 2024 . Al Jazeera.
  14. News: Peri . Dinakar . 2024-04-21 . Indian Navy's 40-hour operation! Pirates shot down Navy's drone, Marine Commandos airdropped . 2024-04-23 . The Hindu . en-IN . 0971-751X.
  15. Web site: Navy rescues 17 crew from hijacked ship, captures 35 pirates after 40-hour op . 2024-04-21 . India Today . 17 March 2024 . en.
  16. Web site: Ships, Drones, Commandos: How Indian Navy Rescued Hijacked Vessel . 2024-04-23 . NDTV.com.
  17. News: India's navy takes control of bulk carrier hijacked by Somali pirates and evacuates crew . 23 April 2024 . Associated Press.
  18. News: Captured Somali pirates arrive in India to face trial over ship hijacking . 23 April 2024 . Al Jazeera.
  19. Web site: Five-hour gun battle between gangsters and police sees ship freed . tradewindsnews.com . 15 April 2024 . TradeWinds . 26 April 2024.
  20. Web site: Haiti's Gangs Try Their Hand at Piracy, Hijacking a Ship Full of Food . maritime-executive.com . The Maritime Executive . 26 April 2024.
  21. News: Haitian gangs rob cargo ship of food . 26 April 2024 . Insurance Marine News.
  22. Web site: CLAUDE & MAGALIE SHIPPING, Miami FL, United States of America . world-ships.com . World Shipping Register . 26 April 2024.
  23. News: Indian Navy rescues Iranian fishing vessel hijacked by pirates . 27 April 2024 . Reuters.
  24. News: 9 pirates being brought to India to face legal action, says Navy a day after rescuing 23 Pakistani crew from Iranian fishing vessel. 4 May 2024 . The Economic Times.