All 22 crew members were safe except for an Indonesian cook who was shot in the thigh
The hijacked Malaysian-registered tankerMT Orkim Harmony has been released by pirates after they fled in the ship’s rescue boat, according to international media.
Navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the eight pirates, believed to be Indonesians, abandoned the MT Orkim Harmony late Thursday. ”All 22 crew members were safe, except for an Indonesian cook who was shot in the thigh”, Abdul Aziz tweeted.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said earlier that the ship was detected in waters off southern Vietnam late Wednesday and had been repainted black from blue. Abdul Aziz also tweeted pictures of the tanker, showing some letters of the name of the ship painted over to give it a new name, “Kim Harmon.” He said the eight pirates were armed with pistols and machetes, and spoke with Indonesian accents.
The maritime agency said the hijacking was believed to be the work of a syndicate targeting vessels for their cargos of fuel. It said this was the fifth theft in waters off southern Malaysia this year.
Also read what international media reports:
Daily Mail – Hijacked tanker Orkim Harmony released, pirates flee-Malaysia officials
Deutsche Welle – Hijacked oil tanker Orkim Harmony released as pirates flee off Malaysia coast
Huffington Post – Malaysian hijacked oil tanker rescued, pirates flee
Also, click below to read recent update from ReCAAP- ICS on the arrest of suspects involved in hijacking og Orkim Harmony
