ST88

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Tanker arrested off West Kalimantan

Indonesian Naval forces have arrested the "Vier Harmoni" off West Kalimantan after the vessel was taken hostage by her own crew in a wage dispute. The tanker went missing last week after she departed Kuantan with $400,000 worth of diesel. Media reports initially suggested that she had been hijacked, but the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said in an update the day after her disappearance that she had probably been diverted by her own captain, who told the owner that the ship would be returned to Batam due to an internal management problem. They were informed that the ship was safe in Batam on Aug 17. Initial investigations suggest that the crew members decided to sail the ship to Batam after a dispute between them and their employer. Vier Abdul Jamal, CEO of the shipowner Vierlines Asia, told the AP that the dispute was between the crew and the charterer, and had to do with the payment of a bonus. Indonesian forces found the tankeroff Borneo and escorted it to Tanjung Pinang for further Investigation.

Missing tanker found off Batam - not hijacked

PETALING JAYA: A tanker carrying RM1.57mil worth of diesel that was reported missing in waters near Kuantan port has been found off Batam, Indonesia. Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Datuk Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar said initial investigations showed that the ship was taken due to an internal dispute. He said the ship had been located and secured. Ahmad Puzi did not elaborate further, saying investigations were ongoing. The Indonesia-registered MT Vier Harmoni had sailed from Tanjung Pelepas, Johor on Monday, carrying 900,000 litres of diesel. At 11.20am yesterday, Ahmad Puzi tweeted that the ship had been reported missing in the waters near Kuantan port. He tweeted minutes later that the vessel registered in Batam was located in waters there, based on information provided by their Indonesian counterparts. In Johor Baru, MMEA southern region First Admiral Adon Shalan said that based on the latest information, the ship’s owner had yet to settle a bond with the Malaysian authorities for the diesel worth RM1.57mil on board. He said a police report had also been lodged in Kuantan after the vessel left Kuantan Port for Indonesia. Adon said the bond payment was to guarantee that a ship would be held accountable for any incident happening within Malaysian waters. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/08/18/missing-tanker-found-off-batam-mmea-ship-that-disappeared-near-kuantan-port-taken-due-to-internal-di/

Tanker Hijacked and Taken to Indonesia

By Reuters 2016-08-17 01:14:18 An oil tanker carrying 900,000 liters of diesel has been hijacked and taken into Indonesian waters, Malaysian maritime authorities said on Tuesday. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said in a statement that the ship, Vier Harmoni, has been located in the waters off Batam, Indonesia. The MMEA said they have yet to confirm the identity of the hijackers. The ship, which sailed from the Tanjung Pelepas port in Malaysia on Monday, was carrying diesel with an estimated value of 1.57 million ringgit ($392,795).