Pirates seek ransom money for crew

Pirates seek ransom money for crew

SINGAPORE: Gun-toting pirates who kidnapped two crew members from a tugboat in the Strait of Malacca have asked the owners for "a substantial sum" of ransom money, the International Maritime Bureau's (IMB's) Piracy Reporting Center said on Wednesday.

Regional Manager Noel Choong in Kuala Lumpur told The Straits Times that the owners of the Tuvalu-registered tug have declined to reveal the name of the vessel attacked on Thursday in Indonesian waters because they fear it might be difficult to get clients to lease it in the future.

The attack on their boat was the second in three days in the Strait. Pirates in the second attack, which occurred on Saturday, have yet to contact the owners of the Singapore-registered tugboat MV Erna after the kidnapping of its captain and chief engineer.

At least 12 crew members have been taken hostage in seven attacks since May, the highest since the IMB was first notified in 2001 of hostages being grabbed in the waterway, one of the busiest in the world. -- DPA