Join our crew and become one of the 104,332 members that receive our newsletter.

Malaysia Foils Tanker Hijacking, 10 Pirates Arrested

Malaysia Foils Tanker Hijacking, 10 Pirates Arrested

Reuters
Total Views: 103
September 7, 2017

The Thailand-flagged MT MGT 1. Photo: MarineTraffic / 

ReutersKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Reuters) – Malaysian authorities thwarted the hijacking of a Thai oil tanker on Thursday and arrested 10 suspected Indonesian pirates on board the ship, a maritime security agency commander said.

A special team from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) stormed the MT Tanker MGT1, off the coast of the northeastern state of Terengganu, nearly 10 hours after it was reported missing on Wednesday.

While the 10 were detained on the tanker, three suspects on a smaller boat nearby managed to escape, and an MMEA vessel has been sent to find them, the agency’s chief, Maritime Admiral Zulkifli Abu Bakar, said in a statement.

The boat was spotted near the tanker by a surveillance aircraft.

“Warning shots were fired from the aircraft when the boat tried to escape but the attempt to stop them failed as the aircraft was running low on fuel,” Zulkifli said.

Zulkifli identified the 10 suspected pirates that were arrested as Indonesian nationals. None of the 14 crew members on the tanker, all Thais, was hurt.

The tanker, which was transporting 2.2 million liters of diesel valued at about 7 million ringgit ($1.66 million), had been escorted to the town of Kuala Terengganu to help with the investigations into the case.

Piracy in Southeast Asian waters, including its busy international shipping lanes, has been a problem for years.

(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Robert Birsel)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017.

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Sign Up
Back to Main
polygon icon polygon icon

Why Join the gCaptain Club?

Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.

Sign Up
close

JOIN OUR CREW

Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 104,332 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.

Join Our Crew

Join the 104,332 members that receive our newsletter.