Common understanding

Attacks

• The use of violence against the ship, its crew or cargo, or any attempt to use violence.
• Unauthorised attempts to board the ship where the Master suspects the persons are pirates or other unauthorised persons.
• If weapons or RPGs are fired.
• Attempts to place a WBIED against the hull.
• Sighting of missile firing.
• An actual boarding, whether successful in gaining control of the ship or not.
• Attempts to overcome the SPM using:
  • Ladders.
  • Grappling hooks
  • Weapons deliberately used against or at the ship.

Suspicious activity

• The number of crew onboard relative to its size.
• The Closest Point of Approach.
• The existence of unusual and non-fishing equipment onboard, e.g. ladders, climbing hooks or large amounts of fuel.
• One vessel towing multiple skiffs or has skiffs onboard.
• The type of vessel is unusual for the current location.
• Small boats operating at high speed.
• If a vessel appears unmanned.
• The vessel is not transmitting on AIS.
• The vessel is not flying a Flag.
• Vessel is flying two or more flags simultaneously.
• Skiffs operating far from the coast.
• Vessels fishing outside of normal fishing zones.
• Windows of vessel covered or blanked out.
• Dhows/skiffs rafted up.
• No lights during hours of darkness.
• Skiffs with two or more outboard motors.
• Dhows/skiffs stopped in the water, no evidence of fishing.
• Vessels loitering East of Socotra, South of the Makran Coast or in the vicinity of Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Pemba, Salalah, Ras Fartek or the IRTC.
• Packages hanging outboard of a vessel.
• Excessive communications antennas.

This is not an exhaustive list. Other events, activity and vessels may be deemed suspicious by the Master of a merchant ship having due regard to their own seagoing experiences within the region and information shared amongst the maritime community.