Armed Robbers Board Bulk Carrier Off Indonesian Coast

A group of armed robbers boarded a Panama-flagged ship over a week ago and restrained two of the crew members on board.

According to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) in Singapore, six knife-wielding individuals boarded the bulk carrier Santa Regina on Tuesday, June 11. The vessel was located 5.3 nautical miles west of Pulau Cula, Indonesia, at the time.

The robbers accessed the ship’s engine room through the steering gear door and tied up the two crew members present. They then stole some engine spare parts from the machinery space. An engineer discovered the theft and promptly informed the Captain.

The Captain immediately raised an alarm to alert the rest of the crew, who quickly gathered in response to the emergency signal.

The Captain reported the incident to the Singapore Port Operations Control Centre (POCC) via email with the help of the ship’s agent.

The incident was also reported to the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF) and the Singapore Police Coast Guard, as well as to Indonesian authorities.

Santa Regina, a bulk carrier built in 2014, is owned and operated by Mitsubishi Ore Transport Co Ltd, Japan. The vessel departed from Paranagua Port, Brazil, and arrived in Nansha, China, on June 16.