Fuel Worth $400,000 Stolen from Hijacked Bunker Tanker

Arowana United had its named painted out to be just "Arow"

Bunkers worth some $400,000 were stolen from a bunker tanker after it was hijacked in East Malaysia earlier this month, reports on Thursday have revealed.

Malaysian registered Mt Arowana United, owned by Vast Alliance Sdn Bhd, was found after five days near Pulau Natuna, Indonesia with her eight crew members, but not its cargo of 650,000 litres of marine fuel.

On October 14, 2012 Mt Arowana United was docked at the Labuan inner anchorage in preparation to bunker a vessel on October 19, 2012.

Vast Alliance Port Captain Ezekial K. Jr, who was in Port Klang at the time, said there had been a delay in obtaining the appropriate documents for bunkering as their agent in Labuan had failed to apply for the permit.

After the matter was resolved on October 18, 2012, Ezekial said the following day he was unable to contact the crew and, having become suspicious at the lack of communication, on October 20, 2012 flew to Labuan only to discover the vessel was gone.

"We notified the authorities and questioned the port control how was it possible for a vessel to be hijacked at port," he said.

Five days later a member of the crew made contact using an old Indonesian sim card to call the company headquarters.

He said the vessel had been hijacked by 10 or more pirates, who had since left, and after the whole crew except the captain, chief engineer, and the bosun were locked up in a cabin the vessel was sailed towards Pulau Natuna where its fuel cargo was transferred to another vessel.

Money, clothes, some 40 drums of paint, and other valuables were also said to have been stolen.

The crew of Arowana United, whose name had been painted out to be just 'Arow', was instructed to sail to Singapore where they were given food and other rations before police there took their statements.

"Even though the navigation system had been vandalised, the ship was in good shape to sail," Ezekial said.

The crew were reported to be unharmed but had sustained light injuries during the five day ordeal.