Armed robbers have boarded a tanker riding at anchor at the Jose Terminal in Venezuela, the second such incident in less than a week.
Five men, armed with knives and a pipe wrench, are reported to have tied up the aft watch-keeper during the raid late last week.
They broke into the ship’s paint store, but were spotted and the ship’s crew were mustered. Hearing the alerted crew, the intruders escaped taking with them stolen stores.
The incident has gone largely unreported by the media. Details have just been reported by the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre.
“This was the second report of robbers boarding a tanker at the Jose Terminal in the space of a week,” said UK-based security consultancy Gray Page.
“In both cases the intruders were carrying knives and boarded the vessels during the hours of darkness.”
Venezuela has been struggling with civil unrest and a deteriorating economy, with electricity blackouts becoming routine.
“There have been numerous reports of robbers boarding vessels at anchor off the Jose Terminal.
"Thieves have tended to target cash and valuables and on-board stores,” said Gray Page.
Tankers berthed at the Jose terminal or waiting in the anchorage should be aware they are at risk of boarding, it added.
Sources say requests for the Venezuelan authorities to improve security at the Jose facility – Venezuela’s main oil export terminal – have largely gone unheeded.
Ships operating in Venezuela have been warned to maintain strict watches at berth and at anchor and should be alert to the approach of small craft.
“When possible, a ship’s sides and decks should be illuminated. Pilot ladders and accommodation ladders should be stowed,” said Gray Page.
