TNAG-2531-FCO40-3701-Hong-Kong-shipping-matters-1997 — Page 175

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

GOVERMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

WED 27 MAY 92 08:50

PG.07

3

7.

The

it

representative of the Philippines was not present when

this was openly stated by Eric Ellen. This case was not

investigated by

enforcement agency,

though

appears that IMB were able to trace both the ship and the original cargo which turned up in Manila.

An

law any

account of a

recent long term seizure which was

investigated by IMB was also given. This concerned a small ship on passage from Bangkok to Korea with a valuable cargo

of cin.

The ship was boarded off Vietnam by four armed

The funnel was crew overpowered and tied up.

the ship's name changed while the ship was sailed to an anchorage off Banka Island in Indonesia where

the cargo was discharged into lighters.

men,

and

all

repainted and

8.

The ship remained

unexplained

9.

at anchor following discharge for

reasons, and then sailed to the Thai coast, were

the pirates left in a ship's lifeboat, taking the master

with them.

ship's radio had been smashed, and all

charts destroyed, so the Chief Officer had to sail the ship

without charts and radio to Bangkok.

The

The master Wäs

transferred to a fishing boat and then landed on a remote

coast.

He took two days to get to a police station in

Thailand.

The entire operation lasted two weeks, during

which the crew were threatened, and at some were physically

assaulted by the pirates using a chain attached to bamboo

poles. It was concluded that the ship had been targetted by

the pirates, though it could not be explained how they

obtained intelligence on the destination and cargo. It is

possible that information may have been released by cJEW

while visiting the Red Lantern Bar in Singapore. The Dutch

police also investigated this case.

There Were a number of questions raised following this

account, which revealed that one of the pirates was thought

to be a professional seaman. It was stated that six similar

had occurred within the last 2 years.

attacks

Malaysian

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