Jahan Moni: BSA bulker - stress, alarm, erratic

Jahan Moni, owned by Brave Royal Shipping Ltd was heading towards Europe with merchandise from Singapore, came under attack twice by pirates in a space of 90 minutes, Rear Admiral Bazlur Rahman said.
"All symptoms are there that the pirates have taken control of the ship. It was chased by the pirates for more than an hour. It has sent stress signal and then raised security alarm. Now it is showing erratic movement," he said.

Jahan Moni - IMO 9102954
Flag Bangladesh
Manager Brave Royal Shipping Bangladesh

Ex - Ship Name: ULJANIK
IMO: 9102954
MMSI: 309555000
Callsign: C6NW4
Flag: Bahamas

Category: Bulk Carrier

Jahan Moni - IMO 9102954
The Brave Royal Shipping Ltd. (Company IMO No. 5090681) is a established ship owning and management company in Bangladesh. It is an associated concern of two renowned companies namely Kabir Steel Ltd and BSA group of companies. BSA Group (until recently known as Sai Industrial Group), The above named companies are involving in multinational businesses like manufacturing, export & import business, ship breaking, re-rolling factories, industrial oxygen factories, billet & ingot casting plants, power plant, cement factory, export oriented ready made garments industry, backward linkage garments accessories factories, buying company etc.

The Royal Cement Limited is a well-reputed portland cement manufacturer of Bangladesh and a major supplier of cement in the southern region of Bangladesh. This company is awarded with ISO 9001:2000.

The company is formed to operate bulk carrier vessels with intention to carry its own cargo and in future to increase the tonnage and develop modern shipping and to serve the nation at wider range. The company has developed wtih shipping agency business and other shipping oriented businesses.

The company has an excellent team of experienced, dedicated and hard working shipping professionals, capable of handling all shipping related matters professionally. The Company provides sophisticated risk management and control techniques that create a safe and environmentally friendly at running cost levels. The team is determined to work round the clock in time of emergencies.

African Eagle: bulker uses electric shock fencing

AFRICAN EAGLE was fired upon by a skiff, approximately 30 nautical miles from Mombasa Kenya. The barbed wires and electrical fencings installed on the vessel prevented the pirates from boarding the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier on 16 November 2010.
Ship Name: AFRICAN EAGLE
IMO: 9257046
MMSI: 311249000
Callsign: C6S2065
Flag: Bahamas

Category: Cargo
Beam: 27
Length: 178
Draught: 9.9

MUR Shipping Holdings B.V.(Netherlands) is the shipping division of a joint venture company between Mittal Steel South Africa and Macsteel International Holdings BV
MACSTEEL GROUP
The Macsteel Group is a global steel trading and distribution organization which employs over 7,000 people in 30 countries worldwide with annual sales exceeding USD 5 billion.
MITTAL STEEL
Mittal Steel South Africa Limited is the largest steel producer in South Africa producing 6 million tons of crude steel and exporting approximately 2 million tons worldwide from its four steelworks.

MUR SHIPPING
MUR’s shipping activities encompass the movement of approximately 25 million tonnes of cargo per annum worldwide.

This is managed through the control of between 90 to 130 vessels either on time charter or through ownership. These vessels range from 17000mt to 70000mt and include sophisticated tweendeckers, open hatch box shaped bulk carriers, craned self-discharging Handymax and Panamax vessels.

MUR’s activities are built on solid client relationships offering customized freight solutions for their various requirements. This is achieved through dedicated trade routes, usage of derivatives, control of port operations and use of specialized vessels.
The activities in the liner and breakbulk trades ensure regular sailings on numerous trade routes that shippers can rely on to move their cargoes.

MUR has over 20 regular trade routes which involve up to 50 monthly sailings and presently through the control of specialized vessels MUR offers the capability to carry project cargoes and a number of specialized shipments including pipes, industrial equipment, steel mills and hazardous cargoes.

Logistical capabilities have been developed through internal and external sources including the outsourcing of special skills where required. The aim is to add value and offer solutions to customers’ logistic chains

Metcon (Container Division)
Metcon was established to meet some of the container requirements of its shareholders. The division has fast established itself as a major provider of container freighting, clearing and forwarding expertise to the South African and international freight industry.

Southern Chartering
Southern Chartering, a Black Economic Empowerment joint venture of MUR, based in South Africa, brings to the group extensive experience in the mineral and alloy trades from Africa.

Suez: moved to Harardhere

MV Suez, ex Savastaki, carrying cement in bags, is in the waters of Harardhere The ship's operator has received a ransom demand of USD 4 million. more

Pirates: insurance policies to say negotiators

The report also states that skilled ransom negotiators can help to keep risk to life and vessels, as well as ransom payments, to a minimum. Where ship owners intend to pay a ransom to recover their vessel and crew, and recommends that they use experienced and effective ransom negotiators. Where insurance policies do not already insist on experienced negotiators, they should do so.
The pirates were largely based around three clans, which tended to have their own "pirate companies". They left from numerous pirate ports, including coves and harbors along the 3,000 km-long coast. They brought seized ships back to a central location, where they maintained the security of the ships and conducted ransom negotiations
A significant number of Somali pirates are organized in clan-based sophisticated criminal networks. However the method of attack has remained basic. Ironically, it is a measure of the success of Atalanta and other international forces in the Gulf of Aden that pirates have been forced to operate further offshore in the Indian Ocean. This increases the risk-to-reward ratio for the pirates as they have to use mother ships which are more easily identified by surveillance.


Hostage taking and ransoms

53. Rear Admiral Hudson [Rear Admiral Peter Hudson CBE] said that the piracy of ships for ransom had generated around $80 million in 2009. Generally, hostages had been well treated notwithstanding the psychological impact. Tracing where the money went was a key part of the overall assault on piracy but he did not believe there were any direct links between terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda and piracy (Q 108). We understand that it is very difficult to ascertain the ultimate destination of proceeds of piracy. Although the Government have so far found no evidence of any operational or organisational link between piracy and terrorism,[14] there must be a danger of such links.

54. Lord Malloch-Brown (then FCO Minister) acknowledged the reality that ransom payments were made by ship owners to save the life of their crews, and confirmed that such payments were not illegal under international law. However, the Government would not endorse, condone or participate in such a transaction, in line with the common EU position (QQ 79-80).

55. Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead confirmed that the payment of ransoms was not a criminal offence under UK law; the Government's position was that such payments should be discouraged as they would only exacerbate the piracy problem[15]. Mr Holtby stated that once a ransom was received by pirates it became criminal proceeds which could then technically be recovered (Q 340).

56. The insurance industry confirmed that the payment of a ransom was insurable and it was not illegal to insure such a payment[16] (Croom-Johnson Q 278). The FCO told us that the US had recently suggested that pirate individuals should be designated under the UN anti-terror sanctions regime, which could require States to freeze funds and financial assets associated with an individual. They noted the reported concerns of the shipping industry that such a move might render the payment of ransoms more complicated and thus potentially endanger the lives of crews (Q 340).

57. We support the status quo whereby the payment of ransom to pirates is not a criminal offence under United Kingdom law. We recommend that the Government continue to monitor the potential risks of monies reaching terrorists.

58. We understand that skilled ransom negotiators can help to keep risk to life and vessels, as well as ransom payments, to a minimum. Where ship owners intend to pay a ransom to recover their vessel and crew, we recommend that they use experienced and effective ransom negotiators. Where insurance policies do not already insist on experienced negotiators, they should do so.
Combating Somali Piracy: the EU's Naval Operation Atalanta - European Union Committee, by Sub-Committee C (Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development)