Asia/Pacific News
Bunker Pirates Steal 3,500 mt of Bunkers from Singaporean Tanker
A Singaporean-flagged tanker has been found minus its fuel oil cargo after it disappeared while traveling through the Strait of Malacca on Saturday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has confirmed.
According to reports, the MT Joaquim had been carrying 3,500 tonnes of marine fuel oil from Malaysia to Indonesia when it was purportedly hijacked.
The tanker was found Sunday morning north of Indonesia's Pulau Rupat, but without the estimated $700,000 worth of fuel cargo aboard.
Separate reports say that the ship was finally spotted by a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) airccraft, with all nine crew members accounted for.
One of the crew members was purportedly injured during the hijacking and airlifted to a Malaysian hospital for treatment, the MPA said.
It is understood that the vessel's ship management company, RTBS Consultants Pte Ltd, was currently arranging for the ship to be taken back to Singapore.
"The ship needs to be fixed," said Datuk Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar, deputy-director general of operations for the MMEA.
"Only then will it be towed or ushered to a port in Singapore for further investigation.
"At the moment the owners are still trying to get clearance from the Indonesian authority to allow it to remain there until the ship is fixed."
Two Orkim ships were also similarly seized by bunker pirates earlier this year.
In June, it was reported that 770 metric tonnes of Automotive Diesel Oil had been stolen from the Orkim Victory, while 6,000 metric tonnes of ULG 95 (petrol) was stolen from the Orkim Harmony a week later.
