Piracy remains a significant security and operational threat to ships in the ports of West Africa. Two recent cases examined by Skuld once again highlight the persistent danger of piracy in this region and the importance of conducting comprehensive and systematic physical searches. Even when professional security services and trained search dogs are employed, the ship's own search remains a vital element in effective piracy prevention.
Effective Prevention Methods
Effective prevention requires precise access control, vigilant monitoring, and thorough and specific physical searches of the ship. Third-party security measures, including searches using trained dogs, should be considered an additional layer of protection and should complement the ship's own searches, not replace them.
In the first case, in early August 2026, seven pirates were identified a few days after the ship's departure when they emerged from their hiding place. They claimed to have boarded the ship at the port of Tema in Ghana and concealed themselves in the ship's crane house. The ship then called at the port of San Pedro in Côte d'Ivoire. Coastal searches using trained dogs had been conducted before departure from both ports, but the pirates were not identified.
Lessons Learned
Two months later, another ship discovered seven Ghanaian pirates after calling at Tema. They reportedly boarded through the bridge and concealed themselves around the access ladder area of a cargo hold. Despite third-party searches using trained dogs, they were not identified until several days after the ship's departure.
These two cases highlight several important lessons. Pirates were found in areas that were particularly not difficult to access or inspect and should have been covered by a well-planned physical search. This raises questions about the thoroughness of the ship's own search and the risks of treating it as a checklist activity.
Skuld recommends that for ships calling at ports with a high risk of piracy, a layered approach based on access control and systematic physical searches should be adopted. Before entering, the captain and ship security officer should assess the local threat and prepare a specific search plan for the ship.
