Feral Jundi

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Maritime Security: Tanker Attacks Spark Call-Ups For Guards

Filed under: Iran,Maritime Security — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 11:49 PM

I haven’t posted a MarSec deal in awhile, and I thought this was relevant. Basically tankers have been getting attacked in the Gulf of Oman, and this is really freaking out the shipping industry. The various MarSec companies are getting bombarded with calls for security, and it is reminiscent of the days when the Somali Pirates was the big problem. The difference here is Iran, and/or it’s proxies are the attackers. So this is a case of private security defending vessels against state sponsored actions. Crazy…. Kind of like defending merchant ships against Germany’s U-boats during WW 1 and 2.

The article also delves into what has happened to the MarSec industry over the years. Salaries have decreased, and cheaper guards have been used to fill the need for armed guards on boats. The problem with this is that they may be cheap, but you get what you pay for. Some Indian or Eastern European guard is definitely not the equivalent to a highly trained Royal Marine or Navy SEAL… Just saying. But that is where the industry has gone over the years. There have also been incidents where guards have been imprisoned by states, which is an interesting thought for this deal with Iran.

Iran might view the ships as targets to not only blow up, but to also take hostages. You never know with this stuff and everything has to be considered with this type of enemy. Just look at the historic examples of what Iran has done. 52 American hostages were held for 444 days back in the late seventies as a means of attacking the west. So a guard force is definitely important for these vessels.

In the case of these recent attacks, limpet mines were attached to the vessels. Any guard force assigned to a vessel will have to have the means to look for these things. I would say SEALs or similar former military types, with a diving background and naval special warfare experience would be the optimum resource for this type of threat.

Other types of attacks might include missiles or armed UAVs, like what the Houthis have been using in Yemen. Do shipping companies have a counter-UAV capability? Or a counter-missile battery? Good question, but if munitions like this are launched at ships, shipping companies will have to re-calibrate.

The other thought is fire fighting and mass casualty on a tanker. To have to evacuate and abandon ship, as well as deal with casualties from something like this, requires some squared away folks. And all of this could be going on while under attack! For shipping companies that are trying to think this through, this reality must be considered. This isn’t pirates trying to steal your vessel, this is combatants trying to take your ship down or take hostages or just kill everyone onboard. Choose your guard force wisely.

Another factor is all out war. If war breaks out between the US and Iran, western shipping will be just one target of many that would be on the table for opponents like Iran. We have troops and contractors stationed in Iraq, as well as western oil companies. Iran could definitely make that a target. Rockets and mortars have been launched at US troops and oil companies recently in Iraq, and that might be a sign of things to come as this escalates. Contractors will definitely be called upon for evacuation missions and protecting the embassy in Baghdad. We will see how this develops. –Matt

Edit: 06/24/2019 More articles have come out about the increased demand for guards. This particular interview was between German newspaper Deutsche Welle and a Greek PMSC. The individual they talked to was Dimitris Maniatis, chief commercial officer of Diaplous Group. Here is the quote that was of interest to me. They have to use unarmed teams, which is problematic. I have written about this in the past when it came to dealing with Somali Pirates.
Quote: DW: How have the recent events in the Middle East impacted demand for security in the region? Dimitris Maniatis: After the May 12 attacks on the four tankers anchored off Fujairah, we saw an increased concern from the international maritime community about the safety and security of their vessels in the region. However, after the attack on June 13 in the Gulf of Oman, there has been an intensification of the interests of all the stakeholders in the maritime industry for the security of their crews and vessels. We’ve have seen about a 12% to 17% rise in the actual requests that we receive for security in that particular region.

The locations where the June 13 attacks took place are not within the designated high-risk area of the Indian Ocean. So we cannot operate with weapons in those areas. Now, the concern from vessel operators is for ships going into the Persian Gulf, trading within the Persian Gulf, and then exiting the Persian Gulf. So if we are to provide security services to those vessels we cannot embark weapons, which can only exist where there is a mandate for an armed response.

Tanker attacks spark call-ups for ships’ guards
David Sheppard and Harry Dempsey
June 19, 2019
It is one thing to ward off Somali pirates. It is another to tackle the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The maritime security industry has experienced a flood of demand from shippers spooked by last week’s attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman, which the US and UK have blamed on Iran.
“We have been flat out and have deployed an additional 70 guards in the Gulf since the attacks last week,” said John Thompson, co-founder of UK-based Ambrey, which over the past decade has become the largest provider of security personnel to ships.
Mr Thompson expects the number of security guards deployed on vessels to increase by approximately 25 per cent in the coming weeks, based on the number of inquiries Ambrey has received.
Dimitris Maniatis, chief operating officer at Diaplous, said his Cyprus-based security firm had witnessed a “12 per cent rise in requests” for placing guards on ships in the Gulf.
It represents a welcome boost for the industry, which has experienced a lean period as piracy off the Horn of Africa diminished over the past few years just as an influx of cheap labour drove down costs.
The cost of hiring a team of three or four guards for a 12-day journey has dropped from the industry peak of $40,000 to well less than half that level. One executive said that previous pricing “wasn’t sustainable”. Now guards on ships have become a “commoditised service”.
“It’s not the rock star days that it used to be,” said Patrick Rogers at S-RM, a risk consultancy that advises a number of major shipping companies
When pirate attacks off Somalia became commonplace last decade — inspiring a Tom Hanks film detailing the capture of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship — the number of security firms offering guards proliferated, often founded by ex-special forces or other elite military personnel.
Guards were generally drawn from the ranks of elite military units in the UK — usually former Royal Marines, Parachute Regiment, or ex-special forces soldiers such as those that have served in the SAS or SBS.
(more…)

Monday, November 27, 2017

Legal News: The Entire AdvantFort Crew Found Not Guilty By Indian Court

Finally…. Man, what an incredibly exhausting and horrible experience for all of those involved. These men definitely suffered at the hands of a legal system in India that was out of control. These guys rotted in prison for four years and were initially given a sentence of five years back in January of 2016. They had been detained and in prison since 2013, so these guys have definitely been jerked around. Bravo to the friends and family as well as the legal teams and politicians that fought so hard to get them released.

These types of incidents are also a grim reminder of what can happen to security contractors out there. –Matt

 

 

‘Chennai Six’ former British soldiers released after four years in Indian jail
November 27, 2017
The “Chennai Six”, who  had all previously served in either the Parachute or Yorkshire Regiments, were acquitted on Monday and told by a judge to apply to get their passports returned, ending a long wait for them and their families in the UK.
Billy Irving, 37, Nick Dunn, 31, John Armstrong, 30, Nicholas Simpson, 47, Ray Tindall, 42, and Paul Towers, 54, were among 35 imprisoned in October 2013 while working as security on commercial ships to protect against pirates in the Indian Ocean.
They were jailed in 2013 along with 14 Estonian, 12 Indian and three Ukrainian colleagues when their vessel, the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, was boarded by the Indian Navy for entering its waters without permission. All the men worked for AdvanFort, a maritime security company.
Indian authorities found weapons and ammunition on board and the men were charged with possession of illegal firearms. Following an initial conviction the charges were quashed when the men argued they had the right permits and clearance for them as they were an anti-piracy unit.
But they they were later reconvicted when a lower court reinstated the charges, as the Indian justice system, both in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and nationally, moved their case between courts and judges.

(more…)

Monday, April 18, 2016

Maritime Security: SAMI Announces Voluntary Liquidation

The CEO of SAMI, Peter Cook said, “There has not been a successful hijacking of a commercial vessel in the High Risk Area since May 2012 and this is principally due to the increasing competence and professionalism of the private maritime security industry. This is the task SAMI set out to achieve and we have done it.”

Big news in the MarSec industry. SAMI or the Security Association for the Maritime Industry is liquidating. Like the article mentioned below, it is because of a huge decline in membership.

Although, there are some grumblings out there about SAMI being ineffective. Like for example, for the Seaman Guard Ohio incident, SAMI has not been able to do much for those men and the company, and you hear that amongst the community out there.

Either way, I still think SAMI has been pretty useful for getting everyone together and figuring out what needs to happen for regulating this industry. I mean the maritime security industry was the first PMSC group to have an ISO, so that is pretty cool.

Five years ago, piracy was pretty bad and numerous companies came onto the scene to answer the call. Some were good, and some were bad, and others had no business being involved with this stuff. But at the end of the day, PMSC’s saved the day out on the high seas.

It was groups like SAMI who decided to get organized and point the industry in the right direction with their voice, backed up by a membership of companies and insurance groups interested in the same thing. So for that, I thank SAMI and Peter Cook for putting in the effort.

As the readership knows, I actually dedicated a page to SAMI companies, just so folks had a resource to go to for finding MarSec companies. I will keep the page up until the SAMI website is gone. The companies that continue to provide MarSec will still be around. –Matt

 

Screen Shot 2016-04-18 at 4.56.49 PM

Peter Cook, CEO of SAMI.

SAMI Voluntary Liquidation
APRIL 18, 2016

“The Security Association for the Maritime Industry Ltd Announcement of Voluntary Liquidation”
After 5 distinguished years of representing the private maritime security industry the Directors of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry Ltd (SAMI) have made the decision to put the company into voluntary liquidation.
SAMI was formed when piracy and hijackings off the coast of Somalia prevailed, but since the first members joined in April 2011 much has changed. The CEO of SAMI, Peter Cook said, “There has not been a successful hijacking of a commercial vessel in the High Risk Area since May 2012 and this is principally due to the increasing competence and professionalism of the private maritime security industry. This is the task SAMI set out to achieve and we have done it.”
The industry has also evolved and consolidated significantly; our membership has fallen from its peak of 180 to less than half that figure. Consequently the Association is no longer financially sustainable in its current configuration.
The SAMI Secretariat has worked tirelessly, on behalf of its membership, to represent them in as many influential forums as possible around the world and to establish an effective regulatory structure for the use of armed guards on board ships in the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean.
It is globally recognised that SAMI has had a very positive influence on the development of the use of armed guards on board ships in the North-West IndianOcean. As noted by a former commander of the naval task force EUNAVFOR, the private maritime security industry “has a 100% rate of success”, thereby, protecting many thousands of seafarers from pirate attacks and the horrors and deprivations of being held hostage. SAMI has also reassured ship owners, charterers and marine insurers of a high standard of professionalism from the Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) providing a measured and proportionate response to deter pirates from attacking ships transiting the High Risk Area.

(more…)

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Legal News: AdvantFort And The MV Seaman Guard Ohio Incident

Filed under: India,Legal News,Maritime Security — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 1:13 AM

In 2013, one of AdvanFort’s vessels, the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, was transporting its security guards between missions when it was boarded by Indian Police and its crew arrested on suspicion of illegally possessing weapons and illegally taking on fuel.
Two years on and the men, who have spent months in Indian jails and been barred from leaving the country as legal arguments flow back and forth, claim they have been left high and dry by their employer.
The men, who each earned about £3,000 a month, have not been paid since their arrest and AdvanFort has also failed to pay any of their mounting legal costs, according to Lisa Dunn, the sister of detainee Nick Dunn.
A recent hotel bill of about £12,000 was left unpaid by the firm.
“These men are dealing with the consequences for something they haven’t done,” Ms Dunn said.

This is another legal story that needs to get out there. These men have been rotting away in an Indian jail while the trials and politics keep driving this thing. It is ridiculous. What is also ridiculous is how horribly AdvantFort has handled this. (See the quote up top) I imagine the former contractors and family will be pursuing legal action against the company after India finally lets them go. –Matt

 

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Families of Britons facing Indian weapons charges speak out
19 October 2015
The families of British men facing trial in India on weapons charges have spoken out on the second anniversary of their arrest.
John Armstrong, from Wigton, Cumbria, and Nick Dunn, of Ashington, Northumberland, were among six Britons working as maritime security guards on a ship monitoring pirates.
The charges were dropped, but following an appeal by police the Indian Supreme Court ruled a trial must be staged.
It is due to begin shortly.
‘Remain positive’
The men were employed by American-based anti-piracy firm AdvanFort which charges clients up to £60,000 a time for armed guards to escort ships across a high-risk area between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea known as Pirate Alley.
The MV Seaman Guard Ohio was transporting its security guards between missions when it was boarded by police and its crew arrested on suspicion of illegally possessing weapons and illegally taking on fuel.
Mr Armstrong’s sister, Joanne Thomlinson, said: “We tried not to think about the second anniversary too much. I think it’s better to look forward and try to focus on the trial and remain positive.
“I don’t think we’ve got Christmas as a goal [for him to return home] in our heads. It’s difficult to put a timeframe on what’s happening.”
Mr Dunn’s sister, Lisa, told BBC Newcastle: “It affects us every single second of every single day and has done for two years.”

Story here.

AdvanFort accused of abandoning British men facing India trial
7 September 2015
AdvanFort is a maritime security firm that operates anti-piracy escorts in high risk areas
As six British maritime security guards prepare to face trial in India charged with illegal possession of weapons, the company they were working for is accused of abandoning them. But did AdvanFort put the men at risk of being arrested by breaching international laws?
AdvanFort is an American-based anti-piracy firm that charges clients up to £60,000 a time for armed guards to escort ships across a high-risk area between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea known as Pirate Alley.

(more…)

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Maritime Security: Two Trident Group Contractors Found Dead On The Maersk Alabama

Traces of narcotics and hypodermic needles found with the bodies of two American security officers on the container ship Maersk Alabama suggested the deaths resulted from drug overdoses, a Seychelles government official told CNN on Thursday. –CNN

Sad deal. This is the second death report I have done here on the blog recently, and this is never fun to put out there. My heart goes out to the friends and family of the fallen.

As to the cause, the Seychelles government says there were narcotics and hypodermic needles found with the bodies. If true, perhaps heroin was the cause of death? I say this drug, just because there has been an increase in heroin related deaths in the US and around the world. Most notably the actor Seymour Hoffman just died from a heroin overdose. The only way to confirm that these guys died from an overdose or from tainted drugs is through an autopsy.

Also, where did the drugs come from? Were they locally bought when they came into port or did they transport them from the US? Who knows…

What is significant is the company reaction, which leads me to believe that they know more than what is openly being said. Here is the quote:

The Maersk Alabama’s owner, the Norfolk, Va.-based Maersk Line Ltd. also has said the deaths were not related to security duties or ship operations. The ship has since left the African port. Speers statement says the company has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drugs and alcohol, and that based on past experience working with The Trident Group, it believes this is an isolated incident.
Still, the company is responding by requiring reviewing its personnel records to confirm that drug tests and background checks are current, among other things. Speer said The Trident Group will also implement a random drug testing program to increase the frequency it screens security personnel.

There is a problem with drug screening and contracting that needs to be emphasized here. If guys know that they will be tested as a requirement of work, then they will simply not take the contract until they are clean. When they accept the contract they know they are ready to take the test the company gives ‘randomly’, because they waited an adequate amount of time for the drugs to clear the body. That is the problem with drug testing and independent contractors. You might get a clean contractor upon hiring, but have no idea about their history.  That, and as soon as they pass the test, they go right back into drug use mode when they get on that contract. That’s if they have access to those drugs and they are not able to control their craving or dependence.

The same goes for alcohol. Companies do not test for alcohol and it is very difficult for companies to maintain a ‘zero tolerance’ for alcohol use out in the field, if their leaders don’t care. Or the leaders are drinking as well, and could care less about the policy. It all goes back to how strong of a leadership program the company has, and are the leaders in the field truly aligned with the company’s policies/strategies/goals?

Back to the dynamics of contracting, if these guys are actual employees that are employed ‘full time’ with the company, then I could see random drug tests as being effective. They could administer the things at any time, and know that they could truly catch those folks. But still, people are all the same, and they will always find a way to bypass these tests. Or the leaders out in the field could care less about what the company wants and will give a heads up to the guys that a test is coming.

You know, I can’t emphasize enough how damaging that kind of environment is. Weak leaders, or leaders that could care less about holding their people accountable, is a recipe for disaster when it comes drugs or alcohol. Fitzsimmons comes to mind as a reminder of why contracting and alcohol doesn’t mix. Or the AGNA episode. Or the Jorge Scientific video.

Another thing to remember is that some tests are not able to pick up all drugs. Or certain drugs are taken by contractors because they do not last in the body, which makes it easy to play the system. For example, there are some types of steroids that last in the body for 4 days. So a contractor could do a cycle, and time it for when they would be accepting a contract, and then they would take the drug test at the right time when they are clean.

Then of course there is the management of contractors and being aware of the signs of drug and alcohol use. Does the company’s leaders pay attention to this stuff, or are they looking the other way?  Who knows what happened in this deal, but if guys are standing post on a ship and high on drugs or drunk, then that just doesn’t sit well with fellow guards or the client. It’s the type of thing that gets people killed or it leads to companies losing contracts and gaining poor reputations.

I also want to talk about that last part. Reputation is everything, and the competition out there is fierce. There are numerous companies worldwide, all fighting for contracts in the maritime security industry, and the members of these companies can sometimes act pretty negatively (trash talking) towards other companies that are on the skyline.

Trident Group was the victim of this kind of trash talking after their contractors were involved in a shooting incident awhile back. The video of the incident went viral and numerous companies and contractors out there were trying to depict the men involved as out of control, even though they had no idea about the context of what was seen. That the boat had actually been attacked by the same pirate group twice in 72 hours! But hey, Trident Group still had a peanut gallery out there trying to talk down the company and make them out to be reckless or out of control.

With this current incident, this just gives the competition the ammunition they need to steal Trident Group’s business. That is the reality of it, and the speed of new media and social networking is relentless when it comes to spreading rumor or half truths.

Although with this particular contract, Maersk owes the Navy SEALs big time for the rescue of Capt Phillips, complete with a movie to document the whole thing. Given that quote about the company’s response to this incident, I imagine they are doing all they can to restore Maersk’s trust in the contractors they send out to protect them. I hope the company is taking a good look at it’s leadership out in the field as well.

When the autopsy comes up, I will make the edit. A big hat tip to everyone that contacted me via Facebook and sent me emails about this. I don’t think I have ever had that many people forward a story like that, and this really was some unique news for our industry. Everyone was trying to give me the heads up on this and I really appreciate that. –Matt

 

 

Drugs on Maersk ship where 2 ex-SEALs died
February 20, 2014
Drugs were in the room where two former Navy SEALs were found dead aboard the Maersk Alabama, a ship that was the focus of a 2009 hijacking dramatized in the movie “Captain Phillips,” a company spokesman said Thursday.
Police from the African island nation of Seychelles have given no cause of death for Mark Daniel Kennedy, 43, and Jeffrey Keith Reynolds, 44. The Americans were security contractors who were found dead Tuesday in a cabin on the ship while berthed in Port Victoria in the Indian Ocean.
“We are saddened by the tragedy and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased men,” Maersk Line Ltd. spokesman Kevin Speers said in a statement.
Speers said the Seychelles police report includes observations about the presence of drugs and paraphernalia in the room where the two men were found dead, although the type of drug is unknown.
On Thursday, police spokesman Jean Toussaint, noted that officials were awaiting autopsies and said, “As far as I know there is no evidence of physical trauma” on either man’s body. Speers said the Maersk Alabama was cleared to leave Seychelles following the onboard investigation and that it is already underway.
The Maersk Alabama is a Norfolk, Va.-based container ship that provides feeder service to the east coast of Africa and employs security contractors to provide anti-piracy services. The two men who were found dead worked for a Virginia Beach, Va.-based maritime security firm, The Trident Group.
In a statement posted on its website, The Trident Group President Thomas Rothrauff said there “is no immediate indication as to the cause of death, but the deaths were not caused by operational activity.” Rothrauff wrote that the next of kin have asked that no further information be released and that their privacy be respected.
The Maersk Alabama’s owner, the Norfolk, Va.-based Maersk Line Ltd. also has said the deaths were not related to security duties or ship operations. The ship has since left the African port. Speers statement says the company has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drugs and alcohol, and that based on past experience working with The Trident Group, it believes this is an isolated incident.
Still, the company is responding by requiring reviewing its personnel records to confirm that drug tests and background checks are current, among other things. Speer said The Trident Group will also implement a random drug testing program to increase the frequency it screens security personnel.
The Trident Group was founded by former Navy SEALs and hires former special warfare operators to perform security. On Thursday, the Navy confirmed that Kennedy and Reynolds belonged to the SEALs, an elite unit of the military’s special operations forces who are sometimes called upon to combat piracy. (more…)

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