Vessels belonging to Oldendorff Carriers, Melodia Maritime and Nikolaos Livanos-led Kyla Shipping were targeted by robbers in the Singapore Strait.
The Singapore-based anti-piracy organisation ReCAAP said on Monday that it was concerned that armed robbery against ships underway in the strait continued to occur, and stressed the need for enhanced vigilance and prompt reporting.
“As the perpetrators of these incidents are not arrested, there is a possibility of further incidents in the Singapore Strait,” ReCAAP warned.
This latest spate of maritime robberies began in the early hours of Thursday, 8 April, when four robbers armed with knives were sighted in the engine room of the 75,200-dwt Trina Oldendorff (built 2013).
The bulker was underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme northwest of the Indonesian island of Bintan when the intruders confronted an engine room crewman and hit him on the head when he attempted to shout for assistance.
The robbers fled the vessel after the alarm was raised. The crew were mustered and a search of the ship was conducted. As all crew were accounted for and nothing was found stolen, it continued with its voyage.
Robbers targeted Melodia Maritime’s 50,200-dwt product/chemical tanker Harrisburg (built 2020) just before sunrise on the same morning, in almost the same spot at which the Trina Oldendorff had been attacked.
Two robbers were sighted on board the Harrisburg but fled when the alarm was raised. The crew were mustered and accounted for, while a search revealed nothing had been stolen.
Engine spares stolen
In the third incident, in the early hours of the morning of Sunday, 11 April, close to where the Trina Oldendorff and Harrisburg were targeted, four robbers were found in the engine room of Kyla Shipping’s 76,600-dwt bulker Pantazis L (built 2003).
The alarm was raised and the crew were mustered. A search revealed that the robbers stolen engine spares before leaving.
The Pantazis L’s master immediately reported the incident to the Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System, which resulted in authorities in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia being notified and a safety broadcast made to shipping.
ReCAAP stressed the urgent need for reporting incidents promptly so that action can be taken immediately.
It lamented that some vessels have waited more than a day to notify the authorities, making it difficult to track down perpetrators and warn other shipping in the area.
