BH Marine Batam yard loses two vessels to mob

The dispute between BH Marine and AMB arose over a SGD$2.8m ($2.2m) newbuilding and repair contract for a tug and two barges. The latter claimed to have paid all dues while BH Marine denied having received any payment.

Apparently a mob from AMB used a number of wooden boats to board the vessels at the shipyard on Sunday before making off with them.

Reports said at least five police officers were guarding the shipyard and with shipyard workers, tried to prevent the mob from snatching the vessels but were outnumbered.

AMB's barges Catherine and Lazarus and the tug Penida were boarded and the tug and the barge Lazarus made it into open water by the time reinforcements arrived. The second barge was left behind, however, as it was not afloat at the time.

Sources were quoted as saying AMB had made some eight requests for delivery from BH Marine which were all refused.

BH Marine and Offshore Engineering is a subsidiary of Singapore-listed BH Global Marine. It is not the first time the company has run into difficulties in Batam. In March this year the company made a SGD$2.8m ($2.2m) provision for a believed fraud by an undisclosed agent in Batam over a botched deal acquire 30 hectares of land.