Seatrade Maritime is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Pirates rob Thai tanker of bunker fuel cargo

Pirates rob Thai tanker of bunker fuel cargo
A Thai tanker was robbed by pirates of 2,000 tonnes bunker fuel, in Malaysian waters on Friday.

The tanker Lapin bound from Singapore to Thailand with a cargo of bunker fuel was attacked in the Malacca Straits at around 2000hrs local time, according to the Bangkok Post.

Theekhathat Charoensuk the master of the tanker said six to eight pirates, believed to Indonesian, three armed with guns and the others carrying swords, stopped the vessel forced the crew to surrender.

Another vessel was then brought alongside and the cargo siphoned off.

Before leaving the vessel the pirates placed what appeared to be a homemade bomb on the bridge of the tanker.

The captain brought the tanker into Thai waters and contacted marine police for help. Rear Admiral Somchai Na Bangchang, said all 15 crew members of the tanker were unharmed but a bomb remained onboard, the newspaper reported.

It is the latest in a series of attacks on small tankers in Southeast Asian waters where the cargo has been stolen.