Asia/Pacific News
Bunker Theft Will Continue to Fuel SE Asia Piracy
Security consultants Protection Group International Ltd. (PGI) have warned that oil theft will continue to fuel the trend of rising piracy in South East Asia.
“A high demand for illicit oil will continue to drive fuel theft and the targeting of small, low freeboard tankers in the region,” said PGI.
“Tanker hijackings have put crew at increased risk of violence and have seen thousands of tonnes of fuel oil cargo stolen for the black market.”
Despite most attacks involving small-scale robberies while ships are at anchor, the consultants pointed to five “serious” hijackings involving cargo theft since the beginning of 2015, all of which have occurred in Malaysian and Indonesian waters.
In February, an Indonesian flagged chemical tanker carrying 1,100 tonnes of diesel was hijacked off the North Sulawesi coast.
In March, ReCAAP’s Information Sharing Centre (ISC) said two pirate attacks reported over the weekend of March 21-22 were likely the work of one gang.
According to PGI, attacks are mostly perpetrated by gangs of between five and 10 armed men at night and are conducted over as long a time as it takes for the pirates to siphon off the ship’s fuel cargo.
“The hijackings show no sign of abating, particularly in the Malacca Strait and the eastern and western approaches to the Singapore Strait,” said PGI, adding that regional efforts to infiltrate organised crime gangs thought to be behind the rise in activity have so far failed.
Last month, ReCAAP said Asian piracy cases had hit a 10-year high with bunker theft responsible for the majority of “very significant” incidents.
Earlier this year, the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau said that fuel theft is driving a rise in global ship hijackings.
