A seafarer on routine rounds was attacked and beaten after five robbers boarded his ship anchored off Peru’s Callao Anchorage.
The crew of the unnamed bulker were alerted and raised the alarm before mustering on deck, reports the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre.
“Seeing the crew alerted, the robbers escaped with the beaten seafarer’s personal belongings,” the IMB said.
UK-based security consultancy Gray Page said the boarding comes less than a month after reports of an unsuccessful attempt to board a vehicle carrier.
Both incidents in the anchorage took place a night. In the latest incident the perpetrators gained access to the ship by climbing a rope attached to a hook.
The IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre has recorded four cases of ships being boarded in Callao anchorage during 2018.
“In 2016 Callao had seen a spike in robberies and attempted robberies from ships with the IMB recording 11 incidents,” said Gray Page.
“That fell to just two in 2017 following a government crack-down on crime in the port city.”
While robberies and attempted robberies are still well below the 2016 levels, security remains a concern, warned the consultancy.
“Ships’ crews should be vigilant while their vessels are at anchor. There should be a good watch kept on deck and crew should be alert to the approach of small craft. If possible, a ship’s decks and hull should be illuminated at night,” it said.
