ID :
10726
Tue, 06/24/2008 - 11:35
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/10726
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INT'L NETWORK SUSPECTED BEHIND HIJACKING OF CPO-CARRYING TANKER
Jakarta, June 24 (ANTARA) - The recent hijacking of a crude palm-oil (CPO)-carrying tanker from West Sulawesi to a Malaysian seaport where the oil was sold in no time proves the existence of an international CPO smuggling network, a maritime security official said.
Rear Admiral Djoko Sumaryono, executive head of the Maritime Security Coordination Agency (Bakorkamlu) was referring to the pirating last May of the tanker "Blue Ocean-7" carrying 1,800 tons of CPO in the Makassar Strait and the disposal of its cargo in Sandakan, a port town in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah.
"In this case, we perceive indications that a foreign network is behind the heist," Sumaryono said.
The vessel left Bone Manjing port in West Sulawesi on May 21 for Surabaya, East Java, but after six hours sailing in southern direction in the Makassar Strait, it reversed its course in nothern direction toward Tarakan in East Kalimantan and eventually Sandakan, Sabah, where the CPO was unloaded.
"On its way to Sandakan, the ship's blue color was changed to black and its name to 'MT EKA.' On arrival at Sandakan, the CPO was delivered to a party that had apparently been waiting for its arrival," Sumaryono said.
Another indication the hijacking was the work of an international network was the fact that since its departure from Bone Manjing, the tanker had been tailed by a number of men in a speedboat carrying firearms and sharp weapons who later boarded the ship.
Even more striking, Sumaryono said, on arrival in Sandakan, the vessel was not only bearing another name but also covered by all the required marine documents.
The piracy was eventually detected and a combined police and navy team arrested eleven men suspected of involvement in the crime in Tarakan.
Navy Col Hadi Susilo, commander of the Tarakan naval base, said nine of the 11 suspects were nabbed last Saturday (June 21) in a hotel in Tarakan and the remaining two on Sunday (June 22) also in Tarakan.
Five of the arrested men were members of the tanker's crew who might or might not have taken part in the hijacking while the six others did not belong to the ship's crew and were strongly believed to be part of the hijackers' group.
It seemed they had gathered in Tarakan to distribute the proceeds of the CPO shipment's sale in Sandakan and planned to fly to Jakarta soon thereafter as they already had plane tickets.
Eight other men who were part of the Blue Ocean-7's crew had been detained by Malaysian marine police in Sandakan.
The piracy was uncovered after one member of the tanker's crew who had been left behind in Sandakan by the others telephoned Miki Shipping company in Jakarta, the tanker's operator, on Thursday (June 19). The company then contacted the marine police in Sandakan which detained eight of the crew and the tanker.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the tanker's captain, John Rids Wantha, was still unknown.
Rear Admiral Djoko Sumaryono, executive head of the Maritime Security Coordination Agency (Bakorkamlu) was referring to the pirating last May of the tanker "Blue Ocean-7" carrying 1,800 tons of CPO in the Makassar Strait and the disposal of its cargo in Sandakan, a port town in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah.
"In this case, we perceive indications that a foreign network is behind the heist," Sumaryono said.
The vessel left Bone Manjing port in West Sulawesi on May 21 for Surabaya, East Java, but after six hours sailing in southern direction in the Makassar Strait, it reversed its course in nothern direction toward Tarakan in East Kalimantan and eventually Sandakan, Sabah, where the CPO was unloaded.
"On its way to Sandakan, the ship's blue color was changed to black and its name to 'MT EKA.' On arrival at Sandakan, the CPO was delivered to a party that had apparently been waiting for its arrival," Sumaryono said.
Another indication the hijacking was the work of an international network was the fact that since its departure from Bone Manjing, the tanker had been tailed by a number of men in a speedboat carrying firearms and sharp weapons who later boarded the ship.
Even more striking, Sumaryono said, on arrival in Sandakan, the vessel was not only bearing another name but also covered by all the required marine documents.
The piracy was eventually detected and a combined police and navy team arrested eleven men suspected of involvement in the crime in Tarakan.
Navy Col Hadi Susilo, commander of the Tarakan naval base, said nine of the 11 suspects were nabbed last Saturday (June 21) in a hotel in Tarakan and the remaining two on Sunday (June 22) also in Tarakan.
Five of the arrested men were members of the tanker's crew who might or might not have taken part in the hijacking while the six others did not belong to the ship's crew and were strongly believed to be part of the hijackers' group.
It seemed they had gathered in Tarakan to distribute the proceeds of the CPO shipment's sale in Sandakan and planned to fly to Jakarta soon thereafter as they already had plane tickets.
Eight other men who were part of the Blue Ocean-7's crew had been detained by Malaysian marine police in Sandakan.
The piracy was uncovered after one member of the tanker's crew who had been left behind in Sandakan by the others telephoned Miki Shipping company in Jakarta, the tanker's operator, on Thursday (June 19). The company then contacted the marine police in Sandakan which detained eight of the crew and the tanker.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the tanker's captain, John Rids Wantha, was still unknown.
