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