An Evergreen Marine container ship crew member was seized by criminals during a robbery off the Philippines.
The UDN news service said the Indonesian was tied up as robbers targeted the 2,926-Ever Boomy (built 2018) at anchorage off the Port of Manila on 6 April.
The Panama-flagged vessel had been waiting to berth when a number of criminals boarded in the early hours.
The Indonesian crew member was patrolling the deck at the time.
He later managed to escape his bonds, the report said.
The captain contacted the Philippine Coast Guard as well as the flag state to report the incident.
A preliminary investigation showed no seafarers were injured and nothing important appeared to have been stolen.
Coastguard officials boarded the Ever Boomy, but the vessel was not delayed.
The boxship has since travelled to Thailand.
No arrests have been made in the case.
Robberies remain a problem in Asian waters.
Singapore Strait crackdown
In January, enhanced action against robbers preying on ships transiting through the Singapore Strait has led to the situation being contained, Asian piracy watchdog ReCAAP said.
The Singapore-based organisation revealed 55 reported cases involving robberies in the Singapore Strait in 2022, as compared to 49 cases in the previous year.
However, ReCAAP executive director Krishnaswamy Natarajan said that the volume of incidents dropped significantly after increased patrols and enforcement efforts by littoral states led to the arrest of a number of perpetrators.
“Timely reporting by vessel masters has led to the foiling of attacks and the apprehending of perpetrators and the recovery of stolen items,” said Natarajan.
