The explosive device was stashed aboard the 3,300–dwt Lapin (built 1978) following a raid by pirates on Friday, in which 2,000t of oil were stolen.
But according to the Thai Royal Navy the bomb turned out to only be an electric circuit with no detonator or explosives attached.
Details of the attack were confirmed in a report from the Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre.
“The perpetrators tied the crew up, informed them that an improvised explosive package was left onboard and threatened the crew not to move, before they escaped,” ReCAAP said.
The use of a ‘dummy’ explosive package to threaten the crew is thought to be the first time such a device has been used in a tanker hijacking.
“The use of this ploy serves to distract the authorities, delay their responses and deter the crew from doing much whilst the perpetrators escaped,” ReCAAP said.
