Boarded Tanker is Found

The Success 9 tanker has been located with all crew accounted for, Dryad Global’s latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory (MSTA) has announced.

“It is understood that pirates stole the vessel’s cargo and crew properties before departing the vessel,” the MSTA stated.

“The incident involving the Success 9 is the third such incident since November 22, with two incidents occurring south of Abidjan,” Dryad’s MSTA added.

“Incidents are assessed to be highly targeted, with very similar methodology, and thus the recent spate of incidents is not assessed to represent a fundamental shift in risk profile to wider commercial shipping throughout the region,” the MSTA continued.

In a statement posted on its website, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) revealed that it was updated that Success 9 had been located off the coast of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, on April 15 at round 5pm Singapore time.

“A commercial ship, Monjasa Sprinter, passing by had earlier picked up a distress call from Success 9. The master of Monjasa Sprinter then reported the location of Success 9 to the latter’s Company Security Officer (CSO),” the MPA said in the statement.

“The CSO updated MPA, who immediately informed the IFC and Monrovia Regional MRCC. A Côte d'Ivoire Navy patrol vessel was deployed to confirm and board Success 9. All crew, including the Singaporean crew, were safe and in good health. The ship has since safely arrived at Abidjan port,” the MPA added.

In the statement, the MPA said it has advised all Singapore-registered ships to exercise caution and implement the guidelines in the Best Management Practices West Africa (BMP WA) when operating in the region to mitigate piracy-associated threats.

“Companies should also regularly review their ship security assessment and plan under the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code,” the MPA said in the statement.

“Companies are advised to report all pirate activity, including both actual and attempted attacks, as well as suspicious sightings, to local authorities,” the MPA added.

In its previous MSTA, which was released on April 11, Dryad stated that Success 9 had been boarded 310nm SSW Abidjan. In a statement posted on its website on the same day, the MPA said it received a report that the tanker “was boarded by unidentified persons at about 300 nautical miles off the Abidjan Coast, Cote d’lvoire, on April 10, 2023, at about 10 pm (Singapore time)”.

“There are 20 crew of various nationalities onboard the vessel, of which one of them is a Singapore citizen,” the MPA said in that statement, adding that it was working closely with the ship owner, Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and the Information Fusion Centre at the Changi Command and Control Centre “to monitor the situation and render the necessary assistance”.

In a statement posted on its site on April 13, the MPA said the owner of Success 9 had updated the MPA that it was “still unable to establish communications with the vessel”.

“Apart from the Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, MPA has reached out to the other authorities in the region, including the Ivory Coast and the Ghana authorities for assistance,” the MPA said in that statement.

“The Ivory Coast authorities have deployed their air and sea assets to the vicinity of the last known position of the vessel,” it added.

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