Two crew members were tied up after their panamax bulker was boarded by armed robbers off Singapore, it has emerged.
The ship was Mitsubishi Ore Transport’s 81,700-dwt Santa Regina (built 2014), according to the Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy & Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).
The 11 June incident took place 5.3 nautical miles (9.8 km) west of Pulau Cula, Indonesia in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation System.
“While underway, six perpetrators armed with knives entered the engine room through the steering gear door, tied up two crew … and stole engine spares,” ReCAAP said.
“An engineer discovered the tied-up crew and informed the master, who raised the alarm and mustered the crew. A search was conducted, but there were no further sightings of the perpetrators.”
ReCAAP said this latest raid takes the number of incidents reported in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore this year to 18.
Its weekly update advised ships to exercise enhanced vigilance when transiting the straits and urged littoral states to increase patrols and enforcement in the area.
Another bulk carrier, Gestion Maritime’s 77,100-dwt GB Corrado (built 2008) was targeted by robbers in the same area barely 24 hours earlier, according to ReCAAP.
While underway, a ship engineer on board the vessel is said to have sighted four intruders armed with knives in the engine room. No crew members were injured.
On 21 May, a crew member was restrained by robbers who boarded the 81,900-dwt GCL Leader (built 2021).
The Yamamaru Kisen-owned ship proceeded to Singapore anchorage to pick up a pilot, at which point it was boarded by the Police Coast Guard, who inspected the ship, but the robbers had already escaped.
One week later, the crew of Ocean Line Holdings’ 82,200-dwt bulker Ocean Dream (built 2020) discovered that engine room spare parts had been stolen after sailing from Singapore.
“According to shipboard CCTV footage, four perpetrators in t-shirts and shorts had boarded the vessel via the starboard quarter from a small craft,” according to ReCAAP.
“They then unlocked and opened the watertight door in the aft poop deck, entered the engine room and went directly to the spare parts locker.
“The perpetrators stole engine room spare parts for the auxiliary engine and oil purifier and escaped. The crew was not injured.”
