Asia/Pacific News
Bunker Pirates Steal 2,000 mt of Product from Thai Tanker After it Leaves Singapore
Bunker pirates have stolen 2,000 tonnes of bunker oil and five tonnes of diesel oil from a Thai tanker while the vessel was traveling through the Strait of Malacca, Thai media reports.
The Lapin had been carrying fuel from Singapore when it was boarded late Friday evening by six to eight hijackers who were though to be Indonesian, according to Thai authorities.
The pirates then left a what is believed to be a homemade bomb aboard the ship before escaping.
All 15 crew members were unharmed, with ship captain Theekhathat Charoensuk steering the vessel into Thai waters shortly after.
Navy and marine police were then contacted, along with an explosives team.
Late last year, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) noted a "worrying rise" in Southeast Asian piracy, having also said earlier this year that the Asia region in general had seen a 22 percent jump in attacks last year compared to 2013.
