A statement released by the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) indicates that the 3,500-dwt products tanker Joaquim (built 1995) has now been found and is back in the control of its crew although an unspecified amount of its cargo has been siphoned off.
The Joaquim was carrying 3,500 metric tons of fuel oil when contact with it was lost on Saturday afternoon. The vessel was approximately 29 nautical miles north of Pulau Rupat in the Strait of Malacca at the tme the hijacking took place. The vessel was en route from Tanjung Pinang in Indonesia to Pulau Langkawi in Malaysia.
The pirates appear to have left the ship on Sunday morning. The vessel was found approximately 13.7 nautical miles off Tanjung Keling in Malaysia. Malaysian authorities subsequently evacuated an injured crew member.
“According to the vessel’s ship management company, RTBS Consultants Pte Ltd, there were nine crew members onboard at the time of the incident. All crew members (a Singaporean and eight Indonesians) are accounted for. Oil cargo onboard the tanker was reported missing,” said the MPA in a statement.
Hijackings of small products tankers are commonplace in Southeast Asian waters, especially in waters close to Indonesia. The contents of the cargo tanks are the main objective of the pirates and the vessels are usually released after the oil has been stolen.
