Incident Alert – Suspicious Approach Reported by a Vessel in the Arabian Sea

Incident Alert  – Suspicious Approach Reported by a Vessel in the Arabian Sea
Date: 20 March 2024 0200 UTC Position:  14° 20’N 54° 44’E

Location: Arabian Sea – 93nm northeast of Socotra Island

Incident Details

The MSCHOA released Alert 042 regarding a Suspicious Approach on a vessel approximately 93nm northeast of Socotra Island in the Arabian Sea. The master reported the sighting of a small craft acting suspiciously 0.3nm from the vessel. Ladders were sighted on the small craft, but no weapons were seen and 7 people were said to be on board. The merchant vessel increased speed and made evasive manoeuvres. The armed security team on board the merchant vessel fired a warning shot at the small craft which stopped the approach and left the area after 20 minutes.

Suspicious Approach Reported by a Vessel in the Arabian Sea
Suspicious Approach Reported by a Vessel in the Arabian Sea

Comment

Since the beginning of 2024 there have been 25 maritime security incidents reported that may be linked to a resurgence of piracy in the Somali Basin and wider Indian Ocean. These reports range from hijacking of fishing vessels and suspicious approaches to piracy of commercial ships.

Assessment

While today’s encounter may be linked to Pattern of Life (POL) activity, with reports of up to 4 Pirate Action Groups (PAGS) active in the region attempted piracy cannot be ruled out. As the northeast monsoon season abates, it is likely small boat activity will increase and more ships will have similar encounters, however, the same conditions may make acts of piracy more likely. We advise ships transiting the area to remain cautious. We also recommend ship operators implement BMP 5 counter-piracy measures and consider the use of an Armed Security Team while transiting the region.