The ICC International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre has confirmed the hijacking of a product tanker earlier this month off the coast of Indonesia.
The IMB reports that on March 9th, seven pirates armed with guns and knives aboard a speed boat boarded and hijacked a product tanker underway approximately 37 nautical miles south of the island of Pulau Repong, Indonesia. The pirates took hostage the crew members, damaged all the communication and navigational equipment, transferred the MFO cargo into another vessel and escaped.
One crew suffered minor injury during the incident.
The owners of the vessel informed the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency of the incident and a vessel was sent for an investigation.
According to reports in the media, the tanker was identified as the MT Singa Berlian. The ship was carrying approximately 1,500 tons of marine fuel at the time of the hijacking, reports say.
The vessel was reportedly traveling from Singapore to Labuan, located off the coast of Borneo in eastern Malaysia.
Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.