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BREAKING ISSUE<br />
Attack, Hijack, Kidnap<br />
Advisories<br />
Somali pirates hijack first commercial<br />
ship since 2012<br />
Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Somalia, Somali officials and piracy experts have<br />
said, the first such seizure of a large commercial vessel on the crucial global trade route since 2012.<br />
On March 13th, the 1,800 dwt<br />
Comoros-flagged tanker Aris<br />
13 (IMO 9012501) sent a<br />
dist<strong>res</strong>s call, turned off its<br />
tracking system and altered<br />
course for the Somali port town of Alula.<br />
The vessel was attacked by two skiffs on its<br />
way from Djibouti to Mogadishu. An EU<br />
Naval Force statement said the operation<br />
had finally made contact with the ship's<br />
master, who confirmed that armed men<br />
were aboard the Comoros-flagged tanker<br />
Aris 13.<br />
According to Kateryna Yakunchenkova,<br />
General Manager of Al Safina Security,<br />
“The hijacking incident brings the industry<br />
into doubts if the preventive, evasive and<br />
defensive measu<strong>res</strong> were implemented<br />
while passing the HRA in compliance<br />
with BMP4. Apparently, MT Aris 13<br />
wasn’t a hard task for the pirates, the speed<br />
was <strong>low</strong> and it was too close to the coast,<br />
absence of continuous vigilance. When<br />
deciding on a ship’s route, the company<br />
should take into consideration the type<br />
of ship, the size and maximum speed as<br />
well as the freeboard and the dangerous<br />
nature of the cargo.”<br />
The vessel is managed by a UAE-based<br />
company<br />
The 1,800 deadweight tonne Aris 13<br />
is owned by Panama company Armi<br />
Shipping (as per A U.N. shipping database)<br />
whose add<strong>res</strong>s is listed in care of Aurora<br />
Ship Management FZE, a company based<br />
in Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates.<br />
Australian government records from 2014<br />
list the ship's owner as Flair Shipping<br />
Trading FZE in the UAE. An add<strong>res</strong>s<br />
listed for Flair Shipping in Dubai was<br />
for a company called Flair Oil Trading<br />
DMCC. No feedback or comments was<br />
18 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2017