Thai Tanker Hijacked, Robbed

Armed pirates hijacked a Thai tanker off Malaysia's east coast and stole its oil cargo, adding to a series of robberies that has heightened concerns of the growing Southeast Asian piracy plague.

The incident took place on Thursday in the South China Sea as the tanker was travelling from Singapore to Thailand. According to ReCAAP, the pirates ordered the crew to open all cargo valves, activate the cargo pump and transfer the lube oil to two other tankers. 

The International Maritime Bureau said the ship's crew were locked in the engine room as the pirates siphoned off the tanker's cargo of lubricant oil to another vessel.

The ship and its crew - all unharmed - were released early on Friday. Under a routine practice, the IMB will not release the name of the ship or its owners.

The attack was the tenth in the South China Sea since April, an abnormal pattern.

Piracy was a menace in the area for centuries, but increased patrols by regional countries were credited with bringing a sharp decline in attacks in recent years. However, an outbreak of bold hijackings in recent months - usually targeting tanker cargoes - has sparked fears that the region's vital shipping lanes are once again a hotspot for piracy, particularly the Malacca Strait.

About one-third of global trade flows through the strategic channel, which runs between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.