Pirates seize tanker, skipper held hostage in Acheh for RM360,000 ransom(The Star) Wednesday, June 27, 2001-Pirates in the notorious Indonesianwaters off Acheh struck again, hijacking a tanker on Monday as the searchfor a Malaysian vessel seized a week ago continues.Pirates stormed the Indonesian-owned mt Tirta Niaga IV in the Straits ofMalacca and took the captain hostage, demanding a ransom of one billionrupiah (RM360,000).The tanker, loaded with 2,850 tonnes of refined palm oil products, wasboarded by pirates while it was at anchor at about 6pm and its 58-year-oldmaster, Simon S. Perera, taken to Acheh.Reports said that the tanker left Butterworth with 21 crew members earlierthat day and was heading for India.Confirming the latest attack, Malaysian marine police said it wasmonitoring the situation with the International Maritime Bureau.Police said the owner of the tanker was still negotiating with thepirates."We will intercept the mt Tirta Niaga IV if it enters our waters."We are more concerned about mt Selayang and will apprehend the tanker atthe first opportunity," marine police chief Senior Asst Comm (II) MuhamadMuda said yesterday as international experts began a two-day meeting onways to fight sea piracy in Asia.On June 19, the Shell-chartered mt Selayang left the oil company'srefinery in Port Dickson for Labuan but was boarded by pirates, who latersailed it into Indonesian waters.After five days, Indonesia's efforts to track down the vessel seem to haverun aground.Senior Indonesian naval operations officer Capt S.M. Darojatim said thenavy had conducted three air searches for the mt Selayang since Friday butto no avail.SAC Muhamad said an anti-piracy special task force was on stand-by tostorm the vessel should it enter Malaysian waters."We will step in once it enters our territorial waters. Meanwhile, all wecan do is wait," he said after the 4th International Chamber ofCommerce-International Maritime Bureau (ICC-IMB) Meeting on Piracy andPhantom Ships, which started here yesterday.SAC Muhamad hoped the Indonesian authorities would consider using"dramatic measures" in locating the vessel and detaining the pirates aswell as protecting the lives of the 15 crew members.Indonesian chief of Batam Command and Control Centre, Lt-Cmdr M. Zaenal,said the safety of the crew was a major consideration in any action tointercept the ship.IMB director Capt P. Mukundan said "precise and prompt information"pertaining to the location of the ship had been forwarded to theIndonesian authorities."We want them to take firm action. The latest incident has shown thatthere has been an increase in the number of very serious attacks," hesaid.He was commenting on Indonesian claims that delayed information from IMBwas hampering the search.Last month, the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre based here said actual orattempted piracy attacks from January to March worldwide hit a high of 68.