This year looks like being a tragic record one for ship hijackings in Southeast Asia.
“High demand for illicit oil, together with a well-established black market, will continue to drive maritime attacks in Southeast Asia over the coming months, meaning small tanker owners face operational, financial and security threats,” warns maritime security provider PVI in a release today.
PVI said that, in the absence of a stronger law enforcement response, 2015 is set to see a record number of hijackings in the region.
On August 8, the Singapore-flagged Joaquim was the latest victim of small tanker hijackings, having 3,500 tonnes of marine fuel stolen in an incident near Malaysian waters.
