Malaysian tanker hijack ends in arrests

OREANDA-NEWS. Malaysian maritime police have recovered an oil product tanker that was hijacked on 28 January, arresting nine of the alleged pirates involved.

The Malaysian-flagged Sun Birdie was transporting 700t (4,500 bl) of fuel oil and 10 crew members near Tanjung Ayam, Malaysia in the Singapore strait when it was reported missing, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Malaysian navy dispatched vessels to search for the tanker, which they located in the South China Sea just 35 nautical miles (65km) from where it was hijacked.

Since April 2014, 16 vessels have been hijacked in southeast Asian waters, of which 11 were coastal product tankers hijacked in the southern approaches to the South China Sea.

"From the time the incident was reported to MMEA till the vessel was found and perpetrators arrested, all within 12 hours on the same day, demonstrated the determination and commitment of the enforcement agency clamping down on illegal maritime activities in this region," said the inter-governmental organisation the Regional Co-operation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia.