April 23 ------ Four piracy incidents occurred between April 14 and 20 Apr 20, according to data from the ReCAAP ISC. The tanker Seafrost was boarded while off Alang Anchorage, India, on April 18. She was waiting for demolition when she was boarded and some property stolen. While sailing in the South China Sea on April 16 en route from port of Sungai Linggi, Malaysia, to Qingdao, China, the master of the VLCC Arafura discovered that padlocks to restricted spaces had been cut. A breathing apparatus air compressor unit and various spare parts were stolen. The master conducted a search of the ship but did not see the perpetrators. While en route from Singapore to China in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait TSS on April 16, the master of the bulk carrier Palais saw three perpetrators at the stern of the ship. There was no confrontation between the perpetrators and the crew, but some engine spares were stolen. On April 14, while at anchor approximately four nautical miles west of Manila International Container Terminal, one of the crew on the container ship NYK Joanna noticed a small, unlit motor boat near the starboard quarter of the ship. On investigation, the Chief Officer and two crew saw a perpetrator with a knife standing at the hawse pipe area of the ship (port side) and another running from the bosun store. They escaped through the port hawse pipe into the boat. A set of self-contained breathing apparatus, a flashlight and three sets of chain blocks were stolen. ReCAAP ISC reports that there were 29 incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia during the first quarter of 2020. This was 19 more than the same time last year. Source: maritime-executive.com
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