Malaysian Authorities Free Tanker and Barge from Pirates

Officials report that Malaysian maritime authorities have rescued a tanker and a barge from pirates in the South China Sea.

The Malaysian-flagged MT NAUTICA JOHOR BAHRU, was hijacked Thursday in the Straits of Singapore with oil and gas worth 14 million ringgit ($4.6 million) onboard.

The ships owner contacted Malaysian authorities when the crew onboard could not be reached. Authorities located the vessel on Friday off the country’s east coast.  Vessels from the Malaysian Navy and vessels from Indonesia intercepted the hijacked vessel. The ten pirates responsible for the attack fled the vessel in a speedboat, evading arrest.

The pirates took everything of value from the crew, but none of the 19 crewmembers were injured in the ordeal.

Just a day before on Wednesday pirates hijacked a barge from a fishing vessel travelling in Indonesian waters. The barge had two crew members and palm oil worth eight million ringgit onboard.

According to authorities, the six pirates responsible for hijacking the barge abandoned it to get a tug boat to move it.

Before pirates could return, authorities located the barge.

In June the IMO issued a warning to ships travelling the South China Sea bordering Malaysia of the increased risk of piracy. 

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For more on that warning, click here to read the awareness bulletin from June 2011.