Two virtually brand new Norden MRs were attacked by armed robbers within 24 hours of each other in Southeast Asia last month, TradeWinds has learnt.
Just after 07:00 local time on 5 October the 50,000-dwt Nord Supreme (built 2015) was boarded by three perpetrators while at Belawan anchorage in Indonesia.
The robbers, who were reportedly armed with long knives, threatened the crew as they approached them at the ship’s forecastle.
The master immediately alerted the crew by radio and raised the alarm. The forward horn was sounded and the perpetrators escaped empty-handed.
The ship’s crew, who were unharmed in the incident, had earlier been warned by a passing ship that five perpetrators had attempted to board the ship by climbing the anchor chain.
Less than 24 hours later the 50,000-dwt Nord Swift (built 2015) was boarded at around 06:30 local time off Sandakan anchorage in Malaysia.
Unconfirmed reports say the perpetrators were able to steal an unspecified amount of ship’s stores before escaping.
The Nord Swift was only delivered from the newbuilding yard of South Korea's STX Shipbuilding in late September.
Details of the incidents come in the latest monthly report by the Singapore-based Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre.
