Incident Alert – Vessel Boarded by Armed Gang in the Gulf of Guinea

Incident Details

On the evening of 17 March, MDAT-GoG issued a warning stating that a vessel, later identified as the Panama-flagged Bitumen tanker BITU RIVER, was boarded by up to 5 armed pirates 100nm west of Puerto Iradier, Equatorial Guinea. The report says shots were fired but no injuries have been reported. At 0719UTC the CSO reported that the pirates had left the vessel, which is now heading to Libreville, Gabon, to seek refuge. There is no indication if any hostages have been taken or crew members injured.

Fig1. Location of Incident – 100nm west of Puerto Iradier, Equatorial Guinea

Comment. According to the MDAT-GoG, this is the sixth incident in which vessels transiting this area have been boarded or approached in the last 90 days. Out of a total of 26 events recorded in 2024/5, 12 of those incidents happened in the east of the region, with 10 incidents centring around the waters of Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Malabo, and Sao Tome and Principe.

Assessment. The Modus Operandi displayed during this, and other recent incidents indicate it is highly likely a Pirate Action Group (PAG) is active in the southeast of the Gulf of Guinea. The PAG is likely operating in this area to avoid regional naval counter-piracy operations, which has significantly reduced the number of piracy incidents in countries like Nigeria. Ships operating in the region should increase vigilance, familiarise themselves with the threat mitigation advice given in BMP West Africa, and consider the use of an armed security team.