Jyllandsposten: Danish frigate Esbern Snare heads to the Gulf of Guinea to fight pirates
As the Danish frigate ‘Esbern Snare’ was sent off towards the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) west of Africa on a mission to fight maritime pirates, Danish newspaper Jyllandsposten interviewed West Africa specialist Dr. Dirk Siebels on the possible impact of the frigate’s mission.
Last Sunday, the Danish Navy deployed its frigate Esbern Snare on a solo mission to the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa to deter piracy. Around 30-40 Danish operated ships sail through the West African waters every day, and a little over a year ago Danish tanker "Hafnia Phoenix" suddenly found itself surrounded by pirates, approximately 150 km off the coast of Ghana.
USNI News: ‘US Navy deployed USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams near major African drug trafficking routes’
The US Naval Institute’s news organ, USNI News, brought an article this week on the deployment of its only U.S. Africa Command’s vessel’s journey through major African drug trafficking chokepoints. Head of Intelligence Analysis Guy Wilson-Roberts was interviewed on the threat.
Following a stop in Maputo, Mozambique, the U.S. Africa Command's vessel USS Hershel “Woody” Williams moved through the Mozambique Channel late last month for the second time this year.
Bunkerspot: ‘Threat assessment: How the global threat of piracy is evolving’
Bunkerspot Magazine this month brings an in-depth article by Risk Intelligence’s Africa specialist Dr. Dirk Siebels and Head of Intelligence Dr. Guy Wilson-Roberts on the global threat of piracy and how it is evolving.
Risk Intelligence has been monitoring and assessing the decline in the Somali piracy threat in the Indian Ocean for several years. But in other parts of the world, such as the Gulf of Guinea and South-east Asia, piracy is still a major threat. South-east Asia accounts for around 40% of reports in 2021 so far according the the International Maritime Bureau, IMB, write Dr. Dirk Siebels and Dr. Guy Wilson-Roberts in the article, Risk Intelligence’s leading specialists on the topic.
TAPA Vigilant magazine: ‘Why is Milton Keynes a ‘gold mine’ for cargo criminals?’
Mitigating the cargo theft risks in Milton Keynes, UK is not a simple task. The area is the main target for cargo theft gangs and registers among the highest cargo loss values in the country according to the British Home Office.
Risk Intelligence’s Europe and Russia Analyst, Kristian Bischoff, wrote an article for TAPA’s Vigilant Magazine on what makes Milton Keynes a prime location for cargo theft, which routs and truck parking areas are being hit and how Risk Intelligence’s land-based security risk module can help you mitigate the cargo theft risks.
Lloyd’s List: ’Shipping reviews security links in wake of fatal tanker attack’
When interviewed by Lloyd’s List following the drone attack on the Mercer Street tanker, Risk Intelligence CEO Hans Tino Hansen characterised the Iranian attack as a “serious escalation” from previous tit-for-tat attacks.
Following last week’s drone attack on the Zodiac-operated product tanker Mercer Street, the International Chamber of Shipping issued an official recommendation that “all voyages are thoroughly threat and risk assessed, to minimise potential dangers and damages.”
New York Times: ‘Israeli Officials Say Iran Is Behind Deadly Attack on Oil Tanker’
When the product tanker Mercer Street was fatally attacked by Iranian drones on 29 July, the New York Times asked CEO Hans Tino Hansen for a comment, as Risk Intelligence has been monitoring the Israeli-Iranian engagement in the maritime domain for several years.
On Thursday 29 July, an oil tanker managed by an Israeli-owned shipping firm, Zodiac Maritime, was attacked off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members, according to the firm and three Israeli officials. The New York Times interviewed two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, and who said the attack appeared to have been carried out by several unmanned Iranian drones that crashed into living quarters underneaththe ship’s command center, or bridge.
Hansa Online: ’Networked port systems mean cybersecurity must become a priority’
Europe analyst Kristian Bischoff was asked by Hansa Online to provide an analysis of the needs for enhanced cybersecurity as ports become digitalised - or Smart Ports as they are often called - for the July cybersecurity theme. In the article, Bischoff outlines the core vulnerabilities, particularly against ransomware.
In the article for Hansa Online, Kristian Bischoff writes: “With the increased digitisation and computerisation of the world’s ports comes not only more efficient and smooth port operations – but it also opens up ports to small and large cyberattacks, some even with the potential to interrupting operations entirely.”
Lloyds’ List: Shipping counts the cost of handling stowaways’
With stowaways costing as much as $300,000 to disembark, getting seafarers invested in ship security is needed to help prevent unauthorised boardings, said PortRisk Manager Ian Wilkinson in his July webinar. Journalist Declan Bush attended the webinar and wrote an article for Lloyds’ List on the financial implications of the threat.
While west and South Africa remain the main locations for stowaways joining ships, there are reports of increased incidents in Belgium and Germany, said PortRisk Manager Ian Wilkinson in his 13 July webinar: ‘Stowaways: Cape Town and Africa hotspots’. Cape Town, Durban, and Lagos are the main African embarkation ports for stowaways, but Bilbao in Spain is popular with those seeking to reach the UK. The Nigerian Navy has said it arrested 97 stowaways in Lagos in the 12 months to June.
Hansa Intl. Maritime Journal: ‘Navigating the Danger Zone’
West Africa analyst Dr. Dirk Siebels was asked by the Hansa International Maritime Journal to to provide a briefing on the thorough preparation required to mitigate risks to operations in the Gulf of Guinea, as well as an update on the situation and possible outlook for the July issue’s focus section on ‘Piracy and Maritime Security’.
Ship operators and their crews are particularly concerned [by the situation in the Gulf of Guinea] because all types of vessels may come under attack”, writes Dr. Dirk Siebel in the briefing. Even vessels that are considered as complicated to board – such as LNG tankers or container ships underway – have been targeted. In January, one seafarer was even killed when the container ship MOZART was boarded, 15 other crew members were then kidnapped and later released after a ransom had been paid.
Lloyds’ List: ‘Israel’s secret attacks on Iran's tankers not a threat to shipping, say experts’
Lloyds’ List’s Declan Bush has interviewed CEO Hans Tino Hansen for a comment on a report by the Wall Street Journal that Iran has bombed or mined Iranian tankers carrying oil bound for Syria since late 2019 amid continued geopolitical tensions. The report claimed that Iran kept quiet about the attacks to save face, and that the US knew or implicitly consented to the attacks.
In the article, Declan Bush writes: “A report that Israel has mounted covert attacks on Iranian tankers carrying oil to Syria will not increase the low risk to general shipping in the Middle East, according to security experts.
Cutting the bow wave: ‘Lessons from West and Central Africa’
Dr. Dirk Siebels has contributed to the annual CJOS COE (NATO) publication ‘Cutting the bow wave’ with an in-depth article on the security situation in West and Central Africa and how the region could serve as a case study for NATO, providing lessons that can be applied in other areas, which are a more strategic concern to the alliance.
Lessons can be learned from the overall lack of sea control coupled with a diverse set of maritime security challenges in general as well as from the implications of the Covid-19 situation in particular.
L’Express: ‘How the Gulf of Guinea became the new epicentre of global piracy’
Dr. Dirk Siebels, sub-Saharan Africa specialist and main speaker on our popular Gulf of Guinea webinars, was interviewed by Sébastien Hervieu at French newspaper L’Express for this piece on the situation in the Gulf of Guinea and what is being done to reduce the risks of violent attacks.
Last year, 142 sailors were kidnapped in this area, a record, writes Hervieu. And continues to explain that the response remains difficult: Initially concentrated in Nigerian waters, the attacks are now spreading to neighbouring countries, from Ghana to Equatorial Guinea. And the goals have evolved, too. Previously, tankers were hijacked, their tanks siphoned off, and their goods resold. Dirk Siebels says:
Risk Intelligence welcomes enhanced initiatives that improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea
The security situation in the Gulf of Guinea is serious and the risk of piracy to seafarers is understandably on the agenda of the seafarers, shipowners, the media, and politicians from shipping nations around the world. Not to mention the countries and wider stakeholders involved in the region. While not a silver bullet, CEO Hans Tino Hansen welcomes the enhanced initiatives announced this week to improve security in the area.
The Danish initiative to establish an international naval force in the Gulf of Guinea with a couple of warships is certainly not the silver bullet to solve the threat of piracy, as some people seem to think, but it will be an important addition to the counter- and Anti-Piracy operations in the area.
Financial Times: ‘Call for military intervention to combat maritime kidnapping surge’
During our Gulf of Guinea focus in September - October this year, senior analyst Dr. Dirk Siebels held an in-depth webinar on the GoG situation and the changes in threats the region has seen in recent years. One of these changes is a surge in kidnappings. The Financial Times interviewed Siebels on the background of this development.
“These groups are becoming much more comfortable keeping higher numbers of hostages and conducting ransom negotiations," says Dirk Siebels, "which means they get more money and become even greedier next time round." Siebels further explained that pirates also target mariners over cargo to limit time spent on the target vessel - as a way to avoid getting caught.
Safety at Sea: ‘Diminished role for armed guards despite piracy risks’
Safety at Sea’s Gabriella Twining reached out to Risk Intelligence for a qualified perspective on the diminishing use by the shipping industry of private maritime security companies (PMSCs), why any engagement of these services must be preceded by a rigorous Voyage Risk Assessment, VRA, and what makes this type of service difficult to use in many of the world’s high risk areas.
Director David Friesem further explained that although armed guards have a high success rate in preventing pirates from boarding vessels, having the onboard can stop vessels from accessing the very waters they are trying to navigate through, as officials consider their presence an offence.
Tradewinds: ‘Is the media guilty of exaggerating West African piracy threat?’
During a webinar on the piracy situation in the Gulf of Guinea, Dirk Siebels brought perspective to the maritime industry’s claim that piracy is increasing in West Africa. Tradewinds’ Gary Dixon got in touch to learn more and share the perspectives in a feature article.
"Every attack is one too many. But the situation, while it is a concern, is far from spiralling out of control. The reality does not match those headline-grabbing claims about things getting worse.”
Merely comparing numbers of hostages does not provide an accurate picture. Many incidents that are reported now would not have been part of official statistics a few years ago and the challenge now may be that the composition of incident types have changed.
TAPA Vigilant magazine: ‘Barcelona - rolling the dice with last mile deliveries’
Barcelona is a cargo theft hotspot and one of the worst affected regions in Spain. With 70 last mile delivery thefts in the last year and numerous incidents at motorway services and industrial areas on the outskirts of the city, the problem is likely to continue.
So why Barcelona? Steve Bacot and Kristian Bischoff told TAPA’s Vigilant Magazine how Risk Intelligence follows a strict evaluation and analysis method to get to the root of what makes BCN such a risk dense area. In the article, they explain the aspects and give recommendations on how to secure vehicles from the danger of last mile delivery theft and robbery.