Nine crew missing off Indonesia

Nine crew missing off Indonesia

ENGLAND: Nine crew members of a ship were missing after pirates threw them overboard in Indonesian waters, just a few days before military patrols begin in the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's strategic shipping lanes, an ocean crime watchdog said on Wednesday.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said the attack occurred on a tug called the Global Semesta Satu in the Bangka Straits, south of the Strait of Malacca on Sunday.

The waterway has been particularly prone to attacks by Aceh rebels and commercial pirates.

Jayant Abhyankar, deputy director of the IMB, said a 10th member of the crew, the chief officer, managed to escape and was picked up by another ship.

"We're still listing the other nine as missing. This (attack) is pretty bad," he said, adding that he was awaiting more information from Indonesian authorities. --Reuters