Pirates struck in the South China Sea off the east coast of Malaysia last weekend, attacking a Singapore-registered LPG tanker and a general cargo ship on successive days, and taking cash and valuables. In the first incident, about 12.40am on Saturday, the LPG tanker Sigloo Discovery was underway at position 02° 47.1' N, 105° 07.6' E off Indonesia's Pulau Damar when six men armed with crowbars, batons and a butcher's knife boarded and entered the bridge, which was manned by the ship's master, second officer and another crew member. The armed men tied them up and took a laptop, two mobile phones, a wrist watch and cash. They escaped after the 20-minute attack. No one was hurt.
The pirates were believed to have boarded using a rope they tied between the stern of the vessel and their 8-metre wooden boat. The attackers were described as lean with tanned/dark complexion and they spoke Bahasa Indonesia.
A broadcast was made via Sigloo Discovery's automatic identification system to alert other vessels in the area, and the incident was reported to the ReCAAP centre in Singapore. Despite the warnings, another ship, Panama-registered general cargo ship White Tokio, bound for Niigata, Japan from Lumut, Malaysia, with a cargo of limestone, was attacked in the same area.
Between 1.15am and 1.30am on Sunday, the White Tokio was about 34 nautical miles south of Pulau Aur, Malaysia at position 01° 57.18' N, 104° 47.83' E when six pirates boarded the ship. They held two Indonesian crew as hostages and demanded money from the master. They released the two crew and made off in their boat after the master gave in to their demands. The master said the pirates spoke Bahasa Indonesia. No one was hurt and the ship continued towards its destination.
It is not known whether the two incidents are linked, but the similar number of pirates and the craft and tactics involved, as well as the common language spoken, suggests so. Incidents in the area have been rising over the past few months but have previously involved mainly slow-moving tugs and barges.
The pirates were believed to have boarded using a rope they tied between the stern of the vessel and their 8-metre wooden boat. The attackers were described as lean with tanned/dark complexion and they spoke Bahasa Indonesia.
A broadcast was made via Sigloo Discovery's automatic identification system to alert other vessels in the area, and the incident was reported to the ReCAAP centre in Singapore. Despite the warnings, another ship, Panama-registered general cargo ship White Tokio, bound for Niigata, Japan from Lumut, Malaysia, with a cargo of limestone, was attacked in the same area.
Between 1.15am and 1.30am on Sunday, the White Tokio was about 34 nautical miles south of Pulau Aur, Malaysia at position 01° 57.18' N, 104° 47.83' E when six pirates boarded the ship. They held two Indonesian crew as hostages and demanded money from the master. They released the two crew and made off in their boat after the master gave in to their demands. The master said the pirates spoke Bahasa Indonesia. No one was hurt and the ship continued towards its destination.
It is not known whether the two incidents are linked, but the similar number of pirates and the craft and tactics involved, as well as the common language spoken, suggests so. Incidents in the area have been rising over the past few months but have previously involved mainly slow-moving tugs and barges.