ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Indonesian Navy personnel from the Dumai Naval Base, Riau, succeeded in thwarting the piracy of the Bahamas-flagged commercial vessel MV African Halcyon when the ship was anchored in Dumai waters, Malacca Strait.
The TNI Navy Information Service in a press release in Jakarta, Friday, March 1 2024, explained that the First Fleet Quick Response emergency response team at the Dumai TNI Navy Base deployed a Sea Rider 85 fast boat to the location of the foreign-flagged ship shortly after hearing the alarm sounded by the MV African. Halcyon, on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
The alarm was raised by the MV African Halcyon shortly after several crew members saw four pirates climbing the hull of the ship to get to the deck.
The four pirates threw themselves into the sea and fled when TNI Navy troops arrived at the scene. The perpetrators who failed to carry out the action fled using a speedboat.
According to the Indonesian Navy Information Service, the investigation into the incident is still ongoing. A number of possibilities were explored, including the possibility of insider involvement. Several soldiers are currently still on standby around the anchor area of the MV African Halcyon ship.
As a reference, the Strait of Malacca is one of the busy and congested shipping routes between countries, but is also prone to acts of theft or piracy. Ships anchored in the middle of the sea, such as the MV African Halcyon, are often targets of piracy due to their vulnerable situation and weak supervision.
In the Malacca Strait, especially in waters that enter Indonesian territory, the Indonesian Navy has several times thwarted smuggling activities ranging from lobster seeds to human trafficking under the guise of migrant workers.
Regarding this incident, the Chief of Staff of the TNI Navy, Admiral TNI Muhammad Ali, reiterated that all TNI Navy soldiers must be present to protect the Indonesian sea waters from all threats.
Admiral Ali also advised soldiers to always increase their preparedness to prevent and ward off incoming threats. (AT Network)
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