Piracy incidents rocket in Gulf of Guinea

摘要

Vessels transiting West Africa's Gulf of Guinea need to take care now more than ever as the number of piracy incidents has rocketed this year with criminals advancing from stealing products to kidnapping crew members. James Hilton, Managing Director at private maritime security company Protection Vessels International, said the number of kidnappings in the Gulf this year has been the highest it's ever been with a reported 40% increase in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year. The situation has become so critical that China, one of the largest shippers of goods in the Gulf of Guinea, recently set up an ad hoc working group through its Ministry of Transport to lay down some precautionary security measures for the county's owners and operators.