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

Incident Details

On 1 February 2025, the master of the cargo vessel JSP VENTO,
transiting 60nm west of Bata, Equatorial Guinea, reported a boarding. During the night, 3 armed men boarded the vessel. Once detected, they left the via the main deck, port side. A ‘boat’ was then observed on radar approximately 1 nm from the vessel. The boat followed the cargo ship for about 45 minutes before leaving the area.

Fig1. Location of Incident – 60nm west of Bata, Equatorial Guinea

Comment. This is the fourth incident in which vessels transiting this area have been boarded or approached in the last 90 days. Out of a total of 23 events recorded in 2024/5, 11 of those incidents happened in the last 3 months in the east of the region, with 9 incidents centring on the waters near Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Malabo, and Sao Tome and Principe.

Assessment. The Modus Operandi displayed during this, and other recent incidents indicate it is 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. Ship’s 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.