Pirates hold tanker crew at gunpoint #marsec #piracy #pandi

Pirates have attacked a Thai oil tanker off the Malaysian coast.

The tanker, the CP41, was boarded by at least six armed men. Reports differ as to wether the attack took place on the evening of Friday, June 23, or the evening of Saturday, June 24.

The pirates rounded up the captain and 16 crew at gunpoint, robbed them of their valuables and destroyed the ship’s security alert system.

They then spent several hours siphoning off almost half its cargo of diesel oil.

The pirates left leaving the crew unharmed. The tanker was able to continue its journey to the Thai port of Songkhla.

Assessment and Analysis

The CP41 was attacked close to Malaysian port of Kuantan. It had been sailing from from Singapore and was bound for Shell’s oil depot in Songkhla.

It was carrying 3.8 million litres of diesel oil. The pirates are estimated to have stolen around 1.5 million litres of product.

Thai authorities are trying to establish the nationality of the attackers. They have asked for help from the Malaysian navy in an attempt to track them down.

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