Fourteen robbers have been arrested after they attacked a bunker tanker sailing off the coast of Malaysia.
The men, who were armed with knives and machetes, were detained following an incident aboard the 1,421-dwt Le Bo (built 2017).
The incident took place in early June, but news of the incident has gone largely unreported by the media.
Details have only just emerged in the latest report by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP).
However, when the perpetrators realized that the ship did not carry any oil cargo, they all the 12 crew of their personal belongings, injuring two crewmembers in the process.
The incident was reported to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) who immediately deployed assets to the scene.
“The team boarded the ship, arrested the 14 perpetrators, and brought them to Mersing Maritime Zone for further investigation,” said ReCAAP.
“With the cooperation of the Indonesian Armed Forces, two suspects believed to be masterminds were arrested in Batam, Indonesia on the same day.”
