Inone of the latest cases two crew members were held hostage for over 45 minutes inan incident involving a chemical tanker at Muara Berau Anchorage.
Sixarmed assailants used the ship’s anchor chain to board the vessel and then stolethe personal effects of the crew before escaping overboard.
Detailsof the incidents, which took place last week, come in the latest piracy reportfrom security consultants AKE Maritime.
Onthe same day an unnamed tanker was boarded by three individuals about 11nm northof Tajung Berakit, Pulau Bintan in position 01° 25’N 104° 34’E.
“The crew werealerted and the alarm sounded, deterring the robbery, but nothing was stolenand no injuries were reported,” said AKE Maritime.
TheUK-based consultancy said instances of low level robberies at Indonesiananchorages continue to figure prominently in maritime reports.
“Theyunderline the requirement to maintain an alert duty crew at all times, andensure basic security measures are well-rehearsed and adhered to.”
Almost all attacks are opportunistic ‘smash and grab’type robberies on vessels in port or at anchor, according to AKE intelligenceanalyst Rory Lamrock.
Latest figures from the International Maritime Bureau(IMB) show that 68 low-level attacks tok place off Indonesia in the first ninemonths of 2013.
TradeWinds recently reported that Indonesia had seen a surge in robberyattempts in the first week of October with at least one incident per day.
Key anchorages at Karimun, Nipah and Santan appear to bethe main targets, while authorities at Gresik and Dumai have urged vessels toexercise caution.
