PLANETDATA / MARITIME SECURITY NEWS April 1, 2010

India: Alert Raised for Suspicious Vessel Spotted Off India's West Coast

Mar 31, 2010 — The Indian media is reporting that security forces launched a "massive search" Monday for a suspicious boat off the coast of Diu over fears of another attack like the one in Mumbai in November 2008. The hunted vessel is described as a white fishing trawler with "Al-Salaam" written on it. It is believed to be carrying five men.

http://www.planetdata.net/sites/maritime/news.php?story=29834

Cameroon: Pirates Release Two Sailors Kidnapped Off West Africa

Mar 31, 2010 — On Saturday (3/27), an unknown group of pirates seized the captain and engineer of a vessel off the coast of Cameroon near the border with Nigeria. The kidnappers demanded a $1.5 million ransom for the return of the two men. Well, it isn't clear whether or not someone paid the extortion money, but a Nigerian navy officer told AFP that the men were released Wednesday (3/31).

http://www.planetdata.net/sites/maritime/news.php?story=29818

Seychelles: Seychelles Coast Guard Rescues Kidnapped Sailors

Mar 30, 2010 — On Monday the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz, with direction from EUNAVFOR maritime patrol aircraft, intercepted a hijacked fishing boat carrying 27 kidnapped sailors and 9 pirates. According to EUNAVFOR, the crew of the Topaz used disabling gunfire and struck the pirated vessel below the waterline. It began to sink and everyone - pirates and hostages - jumped overboard and were rescued by the Topaz. The pirates are in the custody of the Seychelles Coast Guard at this time.

http://www.planetdata.net/sites/maritime/news.php?story=29799

South Korea: Update on South Korean Ship Sinking

Mar 29, 2010 — Navy divers located the rear portion of the sunken South Korean Navy's corvette-class Cheonan early Monday. Unfortunately, rescue crews did not detect any noise coming from the hull, indicating that there may be no survivors left alive. In other news, speculation about what caused the explosion that sank the Cheonan is now focusing on a Korean War-era sea mine. Of course South Korean officials are indicating that if a mine is the culprit then it is likely a North Korean mine, and not one from the South.

http://www.planetdata.net/sites/maritime/news.php?story=29767

Bomb Scare on Carnival Cruise Ship

Mar 29, 2010 — There was a bomb scare aboard the Carnival Cruise Ship Sensation on Sunday as it was nearing Florida's Port Canaveral. It seems a passenger reported to ship authorities overhearing another male passenger make some type of remark about a bomb and "jihad". Members of the Coast Guard, FBI and Brevard County Sheriff's Office boarded the Sensation to conduct an investigation and concluded that no credible bomb threat existed after interviewing eyewitnesses and the suspect accused of making the bomb threat, who was taken into custody. The suspect has been identified as Ibrahim Khalil Zarou, of Leesburg, VA.

http://www.planetdata.net/sites/maritime/news.php?story=29765