[Kabar-indonesia] Lloyd's: Indonesia holds 16 over vessel hijacks

[Joyo at aol.com]

Lloyd's List 
June 30, 2006

Indonesia holds 16 over vessel hijacks.

By Marcus Hand

SIXTEEN members of an Indonesian piracy gang that
hijacked small vessels in the country's waters are
under detention after four vessels were recovered in
the Philippines.

The gang targeted small vessels such as tugs and
barges off the coast of Sumatra, hijacking them,
changing their identities and reselling them overseas.

North Sumatra police chief, inspector general Bambang
Hendarso Danuri, said the 16 had been under detention
in Medan, with one later transferred to Jakarta after
admitting involvement in hijacking two vessels off
Jakarta and selling them to companies in the
Philippines.

Rather than hijacking the vessels on the open sea, the
gang worked by recruiting crew members working for the
shipowner, who would then steal the vessel.

"The ships usually were equipped with fake documents
and sold in the Philippines, Singapore or Malaysia,"
Mr Bambang said.

Based on testimony from the arrested men — 14
Indonesians and two Malaysians — he said the gang had
stolen and sold at least six vessels.

The suspect transferred to Jakarta admitted having
been involved in the hijack of the Marcopolo and the
Gemini and selling them to the Philippines.

The gang was also involved in hijacking the
Malaysian-registered tug Martha Dini, 194 gt and built
2005, and the Indonesian-registered barge Sentana V,
which were found in the Philippines having disappeared
from Sumatra in April.

The vessels, owned by Indonesian company Piti Multi
Jaya Samudera, were resold to an undisclosed buyer in
the Philippines.

The Philippines has since deported 11 Indonesian crew
found on the vessels back to Indonesia.

"We are still searching for two other stolen ships,"
Mr Bambang said.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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