Pirates attack ship near Singapore

Pirates attack ship near Singapore

SINGAPORE (AP): Pirates armed with pistols and knives ransacked an Indonesian-registered cargo ship off Singapore, tying up and gagging the crew before making off with cash and valuables, officials said Thursday.

Such attacks are becoming increasingly common in the area. Twenty-one pirates boarded the MV Hazel I early Sunday while the vessel was anchored just outside Singapore port waters, said Noel Choong, an official at the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which monitors piracy worldwide.

"They also wanted to hijack the ship itself. They asked the ship's master to start the engine, but the engine was dismantled for repairs. It couldn't go anywhere," said Choong, who heads the IMB's Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The pirates, who were believed to be Indonesian, did not harm the crew, he said.

The freighter was about 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of Singapore at the time.

It was carrying a cargo of 17,600 tons of gypsum, a rock used for making plaster and treating soil, Choong said.

Choong said piracy is increasing in the Malacca Straits -- vital shipping lanes between Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia -- despite recent international efforts to curb the problem.

"It's getting worse. The authorities say they've stepped up patrols, but we've been seeing a lot more attacks in the Malacca Straits," he said.

More than 30 pirate attacks have been reported in the straits as of September this year, up from only two in 1999, one in 1998 and none in 1997, Choong said.

The number had been steadily decreasing from 32 attacks in 1991. The sudden jump was likely related to Asia's economic crisis of 1997 to 1998, Choong added.

Pirates dart back and forth between nations' territorial waters, making it difficult for authorities from any single country to pursue them.

The pirates may have wanted to turn the MV Hazel I into a "phantom ship" - a common practice among pirates whereby hijacked ships masquerade as legitimate vessels, Choong said.

"These syndicates buy or steal ships, and temporarily register them in countries where there are no questions asked," he said.

They then are given new names and go into service as commercial ships, take on cargo and steal it.

"For every shipment they can make US$2 million to $3 million," he said.