Hijacked Thai tanker arrives home, all crew members safe

BANGKOK, June 2 (TNA) - The Royal Thai Navy reports that a Thai oil tanker, confirmed to be hijacked by pirates in the Malacca Strait last week, has arrived home and has been anchored in seaside Chon Buri Province in the Thai East. Royal Thai Navy Secretary Rear Admiral Karn Dee-ubol, in his capacity as the Royal Thai Navy Spokesman, told journalists on Monday that the Royal Thai Navy's Operational Centre was informed of the update by Thai International Tanker Company, the owner of the hijacked oil tanker on Sunday night. According to the Royal Thai Navy spokesman, the hijacked Thai tanker, named MT Orapin 4, has been anchored at Udom Bay in Chon Buri’s Sri Racha District since 7:30pm on June 1, at about two kilometres offshore. The Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB) earlier reported that the Thai diesel tanker had lost contact with its owner since last Tuesday night, while traveling from Singapore to Indonesia through the the Malacca Strait. An official investigation initially found that the Thai oil tanker was hijacked by a group of about 10 pirates who boarded the tanker, destroyed all communications equipment and stole about 3.7 million litres of diesel and other valuables, but leaving all the 14 crew members unharmed and only sufficient diesel for them to return to the eastern Thai port. (TNA)