Asia/Pacific News
Reports: Armed Bunker Pirates Steal 1,500 tonnes of Fuel in SE Asia
Bunker pirates last week hijacked a Malaysian ship in Indonesian waters, siphoning off 1,500 tonnes of fuel, local media reports.
According to the report, the ship was carrying the fuel as cargo from Singapore and was headed towards Labuan when it was hijacked in Indonesian waters, about 74 nautical miles northeast of Pulau Bintan.
The crew are understood to have been tied up by seven men armed with guns and machetes, but were found unharmed.
The ship is said to have lost contact with its company on March 10.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said it had launched a speed boat and patrol ship on hearing reports of the vessel's disappearance.
The hijacked ship was eventually found on March 11 about seven nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Labuh, Batu Pahat.
Earlier this year, Intertanko said the rise in Asian piracy is "significant and worrying."
