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New Delhi, India – The Information Fusion Centre of the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) monitored 359 illegal and threat-related incidents in July this year to strengthen the safety and security collaboration, ensuring water transport and shipping activities with regions.
The report was presented to journalists from the Indo-Pacific region by the IFC-IOR operation officers aimed to undertake an analysis of incidents by establishing trends and anomalies to ensure the safety and security of mariners and seafarers held in New Delhi, India, on August 19.
During the presentation, the operation officers highlighted the vision of the report which is to be the Nodal Centre of Excellence for promoting collaborative maritime, ministry, validation and complication of maritime.
The project is linked with 75 partners including 25 nations and 50 multinational agencies to inform, update and analyse on the collected data, an officer said.
He said, “In July, IFC-IOR monitored 12 incidents of piracy and armed robbery, 87 of contraband smuggling, 65 cases of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, 10 irregular human migration (IHM), 154 maritime incidents, 29 maritime security threats (hybrid) and two issues on environment pollution.”
According to the Monthly Maritime Security Update for July 2024, the data collated in the reports have been derived from various internal and external linkages such as partner nations, other maritime stakeholders, agencies and open sources.
IFC-IOR sought assistance from all stakeholders to report incidents in the region to accurate predictive and prescriptive analysis as well as to build a comprehensive image of existing threats in the maritime domain but not reflective of the view of the Government of India or the Indian Navy in any manner, the report said.
The 359 incidents were classified into five major categories – the first was 12 cases of piracy and armed robbery incidents which were categorised into subtypes including hijack, kidnap, illegal boarding, attack, sea rubbery and thief.
Second, 87 cases of contraband smuggling where smugglers attempted to evade detection by hiding contraband inside the vessel’s compartment, concealment in containers and mis-declaring content as domestic product.
Third, 65 incidents of IUU fishing, a global menace, jeopardising marine ecosystems, economic stability and the livelihood of millions of people.
Fourth, 10 cases of IHM which driven by the persistent quest for a better life and security where migrants undertake high-risk transits on overcrowded and often unseaworthy small boast.
Fifth, 154 of Maritime Incidents that were divided into three categories including incidents that affecting vessels, individuals and legal connotations.
In addition, the report also addressed 29 incidents of maritime security threats (hybrid) that involved drone and missile attacks along with two issues on environmental pollution, threatening conservation areas and impacting the local fishing community.
Based on IFC-IOR’s annual report in 2023, the centre monitored, recorded and analysed a total of 3,955 incidents across the wider Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and adjacent seas.
The incidents in all major categories were grouped under four regions such as South Asia, West Asia, East Asia and South East Asia along with the incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, were also recorded.