Warning issued over ‘copycat’ piracy in Red Sea after attack on cable-layer

On Friday last week, 16 pirates in two skiffs armed with AK47s and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) fired on an unnamed cable-layer in the Red Sea.

The ship was protected by an armed security team who returned fire, while the crew took shelter in the citadel. The pirates eventually gave up on the hijacking attempt.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) says there has not been an attack of this kind in a long time.

But experts claim it bears all the characteristics of Somalian piracy, which blighted shipping off East Africa and the Indian Ocean between 2008 and 2011.

Armed pirates using multiple skiffs to hijack slow, low-draught vessels for ransom was exactly the tactic deployed by Somali bandits.

Gerry Northwood, chief executive of specialist maritime security firm MAST Security, suggests it could have been Eritrean or Yemeni pirates looking for opportunities for theft or to capture personnel for ransom.

Alternatively, they could have been pirates seeking to hijack the ship from islands close to Bam.

Most worryingly, Northwood suggests it could also have been Somalis or Yemenis seeking to take the vessel back to Somalia to negotiate a ransom.

He tells TradeWinds that he is concerned pirates may now see an opportunity to hijack ships following a relaxation of security measures by some owners after three or more years with no piracy attacks in the region.

He said: “I think that there is a possibility that this is connected to Somali piracy, or is borrowing from the business model. In which case, it shows that there are people in the region — investors and foot soldiers — who are continuing to maintain an interest, and there is activity ready to exploit any relaxation of the security posture in the Indian Ocean.”

The Red Sea attack comes just as the IMB announced figures showing global piracy had dipped to a 21-year low, with just 98 piracy incidents globally in the first half of this year (see picture).

But IMB director Pottengal Mukundan says there is still a need for vigilance off Somalia.

“This drop in world piracy is encouraging news,” he said.

“Two main factors are recent improvements around Indonesia, and the continued deterrence of Somali pirates off East Africa.

“But ships need to stay vigilant, maintain security and report all attacks, as the threat of piracy remains, particularly off Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea.”