IMB Requests Urgent Action by Indonesian Navy to Curb Piracy

Published Jul 1, 2004 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

Groups of pirates armed with automatic weapons and grenades boarded ships in the northern straits off the coast of Aceh, Indonesia. Most of the boarding took place within a 100-mile radius of Kuala Langsar.

The attacks consisted of kidnapping the ship's master and chief engineer, followed by a ransom for their safe release, the IMB said in a statement.

"This concentration of attacks against vessels in a small area suggests that it may be the work of a few gangs of criminals," said IMB Director Capt. Mukundan.

The Indonesia Navy recently recovered a hijacked Indonesian tanker "Pematang". Capt. Mukundan said that he was very encouraged by this success. "We are calling on the Indonesian Navy to take appropriate actions in these waters to ensure that the gangs are brought to justice without delay," he said.

Recently, 165 representatives from 34 governments met in Kuala Lumpur to discuss a reversal of the trend of attacks by pirates on commercial vessels.