Pirates attack tug in Malaysia
Pirates have attacked a tug off Malaysia, reports the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia. The Singapore-registered tug boat, Wecoy 6, was towing the barge Cakrawala from Can Tho, Vietnam to Singapore when the attack took place. At 0130 hrs on 29 June 2008, the tug boat was approximately 10 nm south of Pulau Tioman when six men armed with long knives and axe boarded the tug boat from a long white speedboat with twin outboard motors. Four other men stood by and waited in the speedboat. After stealing personal items belonging to the crew, they sped off towards Pulau Pemanggil. No crew were injured in the attack. The Singapore Port Operations Control Centre (POCC) has initiated a NAVTEX broadcast warning ships in the vicinity to look out for fast moving craft approaching their ships and to increase anti-piracy watch.