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Still firing blanks and amusing the Familee in South China Sea?
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Pirates kidnap 2 sailors in Malacca Strait
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Carolyn Quek
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->TWO sailors of a Singapore-registered tugboat have been kidnapped by pirates in the first such attack in the Malacca Strait this year.
The attack took place around 2.30pm on Thursday in the north of the strait between Malaysia and Sumatra, according to the information-sharing centre of the anti-piracy group ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia).
The tugboat MLC Nancy5 - with a crew of 10 - was towing a barge to Singapore from Colombo, Sri Lanka, when it was struck by a band of 12 pirates on a small speedboat. The pirates were believed to be armed with guns.
While the nationalities of the crew members could not be ascertained, Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority said the two missing crew members were not Singaporeans. One of them was the tugboat's master. The rest of the crew were not hurt.
The pirates helped themselves to the vessel's navigational equipment, such as radar and radios, and personal belongings. After they fled, the vessel's second officer reported the incident to the ship's owner via its Iridium phone - the only communication equipment not taken. He also navigated the tug and barge to Penang, the nearest port from where they were attacked.
ReCAAP deputy director Nicholas Teo noted that a kidnapping in a pirate attack had not occurred in the region 'for a long while'. Last year, two crew members were taken hostage when attacked within Asia.
According to ReCAAP's annual report last year, there were 83 actual and 13 attempted incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia last year. Ten of these were in the Malacca Strait. 'This is the first incident of piracy in the straits of Malacca and Singapore for this year,' said Mr Teo. 'We would like to warn ship masters and crew to maintain vigilance and take the necessary precautions as these pirates are likely to be armed and still operating in the area.'
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Pirates kidnap 2 sailors in Malacca Strait
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Carolyn Quek
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->TWO sailors of a Singapore-registered tugboat have been kidnapped by pirates in the first such attack in the Malacca Strait this year.
The attack took place around 2.30pm on Thursday in the north of the strait between Malaysia and Sumatra, according to the information-sharing centre of the anti-piracy group ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia).
The tugboat MLC Nancy5 - with a crew of 10 - was towing a barge to Singapore from Colombo, Sri Lanka, when it was struck by a band of 12 pirates on a small speedboat. The pirates were believed to be armed with guns.
While the nationalities of the crew members could not be ascertained, Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority said the two missing crew members were not Singaporeans. One of them was the tugboat's master. The rest of the crew were not hurt.
The pirates helped themselves to the vessel's navigational equipment, such as radar and radios, and personal belongings. After they fled, the vessel's second officer reported the incident to the ship's owner via its Iridium phone - the only communication equipment not taken. He also navigated the tug and barge to Penang, the nearest port from where they were attacked.
ReCAAP deputy director Nicholas Teo noted that a kidnapping in a pirate attack had not occurred in the region 'for a long while'. Last year, two crew members were taken hostage when attacked within Asia.
According to ReCAAP's annual report last year, there were 83 actual and 13 attempted incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia last year. Ten of these were in the Malacca Strait. 'This is the first incident of piracy in the straits of Malacca and Singapore for this year,' said Mr Teo. 'We would like to warn ship masters and crew to maintain vigilance and take the necessary precautions as these pirates are likely to be armed and still operating in the area.'
