Asia/Pacific News
Strait Pirates Strike Again: 1M Litres of Oil Stolen from Tanker off Malaysia
Malaysian enforcement agents are seeking pirates who stole a million litres of oil from a tanker off its eastern coast on Saturday, the AFP reports.
Pirates hijacked the vessel MT Budi Mesr Dua off Bitulu as the ship was sailing from Singapore.
"Ten machete-wielding pirates boarded the ship, which was carrying about a million litres of diesel," said Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) local commander Mohamad Sufi Mohamad Ramli.
"They took control of the tanker for about 10 hours."
The attackers siphoned the fuel into another ship and stole valuables from the crew before destroying the vessel's communication equipment and escaping, Mohamad Sufi said.
He said 24-hour sea patrols are now active in the area to prevent more attacks, and MMEA forces are also seeking the pirates.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB)'s Piracy Reporting Centre called for additional security measures in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia in the face of a number of recent attacks.
"In recent weeks, we have recorded five hijackings (including this latest incident), in the South China Sea area and in the Malacca Strait," Noel Choong, head of the centre, said.
"In four of the cases, pirates stole the diesel and gas oil cargo."
Citing recent pirate activity in Southeast Asia, maritime operations firm Dryad Maritime recently issued a warning to clients regarding the protection of data about vessel movement and cargoes to prevent criminals from using insider information in attacks.
