Singapore-Owned Tanker Raided in Malacca Strait

Armed pirates raided a Singapore-owned tanker in the Malacca Strait stealing several million liters of diesel fuel it was carrying, as informed by Malaysian marine police on Wednesday.

According to the reports, ten armed pirates stopped the vessel, en route from Singapore to Myanmar, on early Tuesday off Klang port. After the pirates boarded the ship, another two tanker appeared and an estimated 3 million liters of diesel, of the 5 million on board the vessel, were transferred in just a couple of hours.

The ship’s captain, chief engineer and a supporting crewmember — all Indonesian nationals — were found missing after the heist along with their passports and belongings, reported the Associated Press.

For now, the vessel is anchored at Klang port where a thorough investigation is being conducted.

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World Maritime News Staff, April 23, 2014