News

On Aug 6, 2024, while the 'Ultra Colonsy' was sailing around 4.3 nautical miles from Pulau Cula in the Eastbound lane of the Traffic separation scheme of the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, the bulk carrier was boarded by a group of five to six armed robbers with knives, who were sighted in the engine room. Immediately, the alarm was raised, and the robbers escaped, stealing engine spare parts and the cellphone of a chief engineer. No injuries were reported, and the incident was reported to the Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System. The vessel was boarded by the Singapore Police Guard upon its arrival at the Singapore Anchorage, but found no perpetrators aboard.

On Aug 3, 2024, Houthi terrorists targeted and struck the 'Groton' in the Gulf of Aden. They launched multiple ballistic missiles at the vessell. The 'Groton' was struck at 5.30 p.m. GMT as it transited about 125 nautical miles to the east of Aden. The projectiles hit a cargo hold. The crew was safe and unharmed in the deckhouse. No water ingress, no fuel spillage and no fire were reported. On Aug 3 the ship was at anchor just off the port of Djibout.

The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has reported ongoing efforts to secure the release of 17 Filipino crew members of the 'Galaxy Leader'. Three sailors were showing malaria symptoms and have been hospitalized. DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac provided updates during the News Forum in Quezon City on Aug 3, stating that the three ailing crew members were receiving medical care in a hospital, while the remaining 14 crew members were still on board the vessel, being fed and given their basic necessities on board the ship. The release of three hospitalized crew members was under negotiation, with the Department of Foreign Affairs engaging with governments that have communication channels with the Houthi terrorists and coordinating with the DMW for information and assistance. The Honorary Consul to Yemen Mohammad Saleh Al-Jamal was also seeking assistance from the Sana’a authorities for the release of Filipino crew members on humanitarian grounds due to their deteriorating health. He was planning to visit the 'Galaxy Leader', his first visit in about three months.

The 'Corinna', while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), en route from Vistiko to Zhanjiang. was boarded by five perpetrators on July 23, 2024, at 01.05 a.m. 3,19 nautrical miles north of Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 5.6' N 103° 43'1 E. The men, who were armed with knives, stole engine spares.

The three remaining Filipino crew members of the 'MSC Aries', have been released by the Iranian authorities. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) made the announcement on Aug 3. The MSC Aries was seized by Iranian authorities on April 13 while navigating the Strait of Hormuz, near the Gulf of Oman. Iran claimed that the container ship had links to Israel, coinciding with a mass drone attack launched by Iranian forces against Israel.