Maritime
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transferred to the Seychelles and charged with “committing an act of
piracy” where they face up to 30 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
“This dramatic incident, alongside our 2017 figures, demonstrates
that Somali pirates retain the capability and intent to launch attacks
against merchant vessels hundreds of miles from their coastline,” said Mr
Mukundan.
Mixed results in Southeast Asia
Indonesia recorded 43 incidents in 2017, down from 49 in 2016. The
IMB report notes that Indonesian Marine Police patrols continue to be
effective in the country’s 10 designated safe anchorages.
In the Philippines, however, the number of reported incidents has
more than doubled, from 10 in 2016 to 22 in 2017. According to the
report, the majority of these incidents were low-level attacks on anchored
vessels, mainly at the ports of Manila and Batangas. Vessels underway off
the Southern Philippines were boarded and crew kidnapped in the first
quarter of 2017. However, alerts broadcast by the IMB’s Piracy Reporting
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20