Pirates, extremists and militiamen pose threat to seafarers

Pirates, extremists and militiamen pose threat to seafarers

Agencies Kuala Lumpur

Ruthless pirates in Indonesia, terrorist attackers in the Middle East and power-thirsty militia gangs on the Somali coast pose the latest threats to seafarers plying the world's increasingly perilous waters, a maritime watchdog reported on Thursday.

The number of attacks on ships rose to 271 in January- September 2002, compared to 253 in the first nine months of last year, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in its quarterly piracy report.

Indonesia, where pirates hide in isolated inlets along the nation's sprawling coastlines, accounted for 72 attacks, or 27 percent of the global total, the bureau's Malaysian-based piracy watch center reported.

The Maritime Bureau warned that a "ruthless and determined gang" was preying on tugs towing barges laden with palm oil and other lucrative cargo near Indonesia's island of Sumatra, a short boat trip from Malaysia across the Malacca Straits.

Bandits armed with knives and a gun stormed one tug on Sept. 6 and threw 18 crew members overboard, the report said. The sailors were later picked up by another passing boat.

Elsewhere, the bureau noted unconfirmed reports that the al- Qaeda terror network might attack tankers in the Gulf region, where the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based Maritime Liaison Office had issued an advisory in September warning ships to "exercise extreme caution."

The report was prepared before an Oct. 6 terror attack off Yemen's coast, where a French oil tanker was rammed by a small explosives-laden boat, killing one Bulgarian crew member.

Maritime Bureau Director Capt. Pottengal Mukundan said the incident "raises the specter of maritime terrorism against these extremely vulnerable vessels."

"The IMB recommends that governments and port authorities consider prescribed traffic lanes for these vessels where practicable, patrolled by coast guard vessels and kept free of all unauthorized craft," Mukundan said in a statement.

The clearest risks at sea emanated from Somalia, where militia gangs locked in a power struggle in the Horn of Africa nation were desperate to raise funds through the kidnap and ransom of vessels, the bureau warned.

"The situation has become so critical that ... virtually every vessel straying within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the northeast Somali coast is likely to be attacked," the report stressed.

The bureau urged ship owners to consider advanced safety initiatives such as a new deterrent system called "Secure-Ship" - a 9,000-volt, non-lethal, electrified fence that can be installed surrounding a ship to deter boarding attempts.

"To date, this system is the most effective answer in preventing unauthorized boarding of ships in respect of vessels carrying nonflammable cargoes," the bureau said.

In an effort to beat increasing piracy and terrorism on the high seas the IMB has proposed two radical initiatives: electric fences for ships and special protected channels for oil tankers.

To avoid hijackings and pirate attacks, the IMB "strongly recommends" the use of an anti-boarding system involving a 9,000 volt, non-lethal, electric fence surrounding the ship.

Specially adapted for maritime use, the fence is collapsible and can be deployed when ships enter dangerous waters. If it is tampered with, an alarm is triggered, activating floodlights and a siren.