Malaysia arrests Indonesian pirates after attacking tanker

Malaysia arrests Indonesian pirates after attacking tanker

2011-03-10 20:45:53 GMT+7 (ICT)

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (BNO NEWS) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Wednesday was able to prevent a pirate attack on a cargo vessel off the southern coast of Malaysia, officials said Thursday.

MMEA southern region enforcement chief First Admiral Zulkifli Abu Bakar told AsiaOne that the pirates tried to rob the vessel, which anchored off Johor state, around 2.8 nautical miles off Pulau Mungging in Pengerang.

During the attack, two MMEA high-speed boats were patrolling the area when they heard the emergency alarm from the Majuro Island-registered MT Front Queen at 3:15 a.m. local time.

As enforcement officers approached the scene, several men on a wooden boat were throwing packages and bamboo sticks into the sea. Zulkifli said the men were probably throwing away evidence after spotting the patrol boats.

Initial investigations indicate that one of the pirates was able to board the vessel and chase down one of the crew members with a weapon. However, the crew member escaped and advised the officer-in-charge, who then sounded the alarm.

Several weapons including a bayonet, an axe and several spanners were seized during the arrest.

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