Asia/Pacific News
ReCAAP: High Probability of Repeat Attack by Gang in Singapore-Malacca Strait
A single gang is suspected to have been behind two armed boardings of commercial vessels in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) on Saturday, Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre reports.
No theft of bunkers or other cargo has been reported, however.
The two attacks are reported to have occurred within 5 hours of each other, the first occurring at 1am and the second at 5.45am.
The first attack saw 4 armed men board bulk carrier, the Capetan Giorgis, 3.8 nautical miles (nm) off Tanjung Sengkuang but it is understood that nothing was missing onboard and the crew were safe.
The second attack saw 7 men armed with knives and tools board container ship, the MSC Vancouver, 9 nm off Pulau Karimum Besar.
It is understood that the gang got away with a watch and a gold chain.
"From the close proximity of the two incidents, it is of high probability that the robbers will continue to pry in this area over the next few days," cautioned ReCAAP.
"The ReCAAP ISC recommends vessels to take extra precautionary measures when operating in this area, especially in the hours of darkness, post extra all round lookouts and alert the authorities as soon as possible, even in attempted cases."
Earlier this month, ReCAAP said piracy cases hit a ten year high in 2014, but noted a 50 percent drop in cases in Indonesian waters following security improvements there.
