Pirates attack ship near Singapore<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AP): Pirates armed with pistols and knives
\nransacked an Indonesian-registered cargo ship off Singapore,
\ntying up and gagging the crew before making off with cash and
\nvaluables, officials said Thursday.<\/p>\n
Such attacks are becoming increasingly common in the area.
\nTwenty-one pirates boarded the MV Hazel I early Sunday while the
\nvessel was anchored just outside Singapore port waters, said Noel
\nChoong, an official at the International Maritime Bureau (IMB),
\nwhich monitors piracy worldwide.<\/p>\n
\"They also wanted to hijack the ship itself. They asked the
\nship's master to start the engine, but the engine was dismantled
\nfor repairs. It couldn't go anywhere,\" said Choong, who heads the
\nIMB's Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.<\/p>\n
The pirates, who were believed to be Indonesian, did not harm
\nthe crew, he said.<\/p>\n
The freighter was about 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of
\nSingapore at the time.<\/p>\n
It was carrying a cargo of 17,600 tons of gypsum, a rock used
\nfor making plaster and treating soil, Choong said.<\/p>\n
Choong said piracy is increasing in the Malacca Straits --
\nvital shipping lanes between Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia --
\ndespite recent international efforts to curb the problem.<\/p>\n
\"It's getting worse. The authorities say they've stepped up
\npatrols, but we've been seeing a lot more attacks in the Malacca
\nStraits,\" he said.<\/p>\n
More than 30 pirate attacks have been reported in the straits
\nas of September this year, up from only two in 1999, one in 1998
\nand none in 1997, Choong said.<\/p>\n
The number had been steadily decreasing from 32 attacks in
\n1991. The sudden jump was likely related to Asia's economic
\ncrisis of 1997 to 1998, Choong added.<\/p>\n
Pirates dart back and forth between nations' territorial
\nwaters, making it difficult for authorities from any single
\ncountry to pursue them.<\/p>\n
The pirates may have wanted to turn the MV Hazel I into a
\n\"phantom ship\" - a common practice among pirates whereby hijacked
\nships masquerade as legitimate vessels, Choong said.<\/p>\n
\"These syndicates buy or steal ships, and temporarily register
\nthem in countries where there are no questions asked,\" he said.<\/p>\n
They then are given new names and go into service as
\ncommercial ships, take on cargo and steal it.<\/p>\n
\"For every shipment they can make US$2 million to $3 million,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
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