A Malaysian-flagged tanker carrying petroleum has gone missing offthe southern coast and is feared to have been hijacked, said theInternational Maritime Bureau (IMB) on June 14.
Head of the IMBKuala Lumpur office Noel Choong affirmed the owner of the vessel MTOrkim Harmony last had contact with the ship on late June 11.
He added the vessel’s condition remains unknown, but is predicted to have been hijacked.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak posted a message on his Facebookpage saying he was "distressed by the news" and prayed for the safetyof the 22 crew members, 16 of whom are Malaysian.
Bernama news agency reported that search operations are ongoing withthe Malaysian Navy deploying three vessels with 150 personnel while theMalaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency dispatched a helicopter, threeships and a boat.
Over the past twoyears, London-based IMB has warned that the waters of Southeast Asiaare becoming the world's piracy hotspot amid a rash of attacks on smallcoastal tankers.
In a quarterly reportrecently released, it said the Southeast Asian region experienced 38pirate attacks in the period or 70 percent of the global total of 54.Pirates usually siphon off the cargo to other vessels before releasingthe ships and their crews.
Piracy in the region significantly reduced in the previous decadethrough stepped-up regional cooperation and maritime patrols, but hasre-emerged as a hazard.
Much of the world's trade passes through Southeast Asian shipping lanes such as the Malacca Strait between Malaysia and Indonesia.-VNA
Head of the IMBKuala Lumpur office Noel Choong affirmed the owner of the vessel MTOrkim Harmony last had contact with the ship on late June 11.
He added the vessel’s condition remains unknown, but is predicted to have been hijacked.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak posted a message on his Facebookpage saying he was "distressed by the news" and prayed for the safetyof the 22 crew members, 16 of whom are Malaysian.
Bernama news agency reported that search operations are ongoing withthe Malaysian Navy deploying three vessels with 150 personnel while theMalaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency dispatched a helicopter, threeships and a boat.
Over the past twoyears, London-based IMB has warned that the waters of Southeast Asiaare becoming the world's piracy hotspot amid a rash of attacks on smallcoastal tankers.
In a quarterly reportrecently released, it said the Southeast Asian region experienced 38pirate attacks in the period or 70 percent of the global total of 54.Pirates usually siphon off the cargo to other vessels before releasingthe ships and their crews.
Piracy in the region significantly reduced in the previous decadethrough stepped-up regional cooperation and maritime patrols, but hasre-emerged as a hazard.
Much of the world's trade passes through Southeast Asian shipping lanes such as the Malacca Strait between Malaysia and Indonesia.-VNA
