Pirates kill four aboard ship in North Aceh<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Pirates shot dead four crew members of a ship in waters off North
\nAceh, after a palm oil company failed to pay the gunmen a Rp 400
\nmillion (US$47,616) ransom, police said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The bodies of the victims -- Nana Sutrisna, 35, Harianto
\nGinting, 30, Ahmad Yani, 28, and Nikolas Rentowuwu, 34 -- were
\ntaken home on Thursday in Belawan, North Sumatra, a day after
\nbeing found by residents in Peureulak village, Nanggroe Aceh
\nDarussalam.<\/p>\n
"I'm heartbroken that pirates killed my son. What did he do to
\nthem? It's extremely savage behavior. I hope the police capture
\nthem," Yani's father Syamsuddin said in tears at his home in
\nBelawan.<\/p>\n
Syamsuddin said he received the news about the death of his
\nson from Peurelak Police chief First Insp. Dedi.<\/p>\n
Dedi told Syamsuddin that Yani and his three colleagues were
\nshot dead by unidentified gunmen in waters off Aceh because the
\ncompany that owned the cargo on the tanker ship, PT Musim Mas,
\ndid not pay the ransom demanded by pirates.<\/p>\n
Survivor Juber Tambah, who escaped the ship, said armed
\npirates seized his ship MT Cherry-201 on Jan. 5, while sailing in
\nAceh waters to Belawan Port. It was loaded with 1,000 tons of
\ncrude palm oil belonging to PT Musim Mas.<\/p>\n
The gunmen then took 13 people hostage but released the
\ncaptain, Moris Sinaga, so he could convey their demands for a
\nransom of Rp 400 million to company management in Belawan.<\/p>\n
Juber said the company later made direct contact with the
\npirates, who reiterated their demands for Rp 400 million to free
\nthe 12 hostages.<\/p>\n
PT Musim Mas later bargained with the gunmen to reduce the
\nransom and the pirates agreed to decrease the amount to Rp 100
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
But, the company renegotiated again, saying it could only
\nafford to pay the pirates Rp 70 million and promising to send the
\nransom immediately, he said.<\/p>\n
However, the gunmen lost patience after waiting for one month
\nwithout being paid.<\/p>\n
They shot dead four crew members, Juber said. He and eight
\nother hostages jumped overboard to escape.<\/p>\n
The four crew were killed also because they defied their
\ncaptors' orders to drive the ship away from security officers, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
It was not clear when PT Musim Mas management had reported the
\nmatter to police. Company executives could not be reached for
\ncomment on Thursday.<\/p>\n
North Sumatra water police senior offer Adj. Comr. Ikhwan
\nconfirmed the deaths and said security forces were hunting the
\nculprits.<\/p>\n
"We are investigating the case," he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pirates-kill-four-aboard-ship-in-north-aceh-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }