Pirates attack product tanker off Malaysian coast

Armed pirates hijacked the product tanker Orkim Victory while it was about eight nautical miles off the coast of Pu Aur, Malaysia, according to International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

The 7,119-dwt Orkim Victory, owned by Orkim Ship Management, was attacked by two small pirate boats and part of the oil cargo was stolen.

“They took hostage all crew members, altered course and sailed the vessel until it rendezvoused with another vessel into which part of the oil cargo was transferred and stolen,” IMB said.

The attackers then fled after they robbed the crew and damaged the onboard communication systems. The product tanker has since made its way back to a nearby port.

Southeast Asia accounts for around 55% of the world’s piracy and armed robbery incidents since the start of 2015, IMB noted. The country with the highest number of pirate attacks is Indonesia, accounting for approximately 40% of 2015 incidents.