Incident Report : 

06/2008

Date/Time of Incident :

25 April 2008 at 0020 hrs

Location of incident :

01° 31.00' N, 104° 24.50' E

Area Description :

Approximately 10 nm east  of Tg Penawar,  Malaysia

Name/Type of Ship:

Pataravarin 2 / Product tanker

Details of Incident : 

The Thailand-registered tanker, the Pataravarin 2 was carrying a cargo of jet fuel product and was under way towards the port of Phuket, Thailand.     

At 0020 hrs on 25 April 2008, the tanker was about 10nm east of Tg Penawar when eight masked men armed with pistols came along side the tanker in a speedboat (of 2 x 300 HP Yamaha engines).

They boarded the tanker and forced the ship master to reduce the speed of the tanker.  The robbers ransacked the ship and took away the ship’s VHF communication equipment, notebook, crew’s personal belongings and cash.  They left the ship at about 0040 hrs on 25 April 2008.  No crew was injured. 

The ship master reported the incident to the coastal state and the flag state.  The ReCAAP ISC classified this incident as a Category 2 (moderately significant) incident.

Reported by :

ReCAAP Focal Point (Thailand)

ReCAAP Focal Point (Singapore)

SingaporeShipping Association (SSA)

Comments by ISC :

Ship masters are advised to maintain vigilance at all times and take necessary precautionary measures when operating in the vicinity.

Observations by ISC :

Since January 2007, there were seven incidents (six actual and one attempted) occurred within 10nm from the south-eastern coast of Johor, Malaysia.   The incident involving the Pataravarin 2 was the first incident reported in 2008 in the region. Please see map below.

Of the six actual incidents, four were moderately significant (Category 2) incidents and two were less significant (Category 3) incidents. Two out of the six incidents occurred while the ships were steaming. 

The average size of groups of robbers involved in these incidents was about 7 men. They were usually armed. In three of the six incidents, the robbers were armed with both guns/pistols and knives.

The modus operandi was that of a hit-and run operation where the robbers would normally come alongside the ship in a speed boat in the hours of darkness.  So far, cash, crew’s personal belongings and engine spare parts were taken before the robbers escaped in their speed boat.  The robbers did not harm the crew in most of the incidents.  In one of the incidents, the robbers tied up the ship master and crew with nylon ropes.  There was no firing of the pistols/guns during these incidents.