In the third such incident this year, the Singapore-registered product tanker, Joaquim, was boarded by an unknown number of perpetrators while underway in the Malacca Strait and had her cargo of fuel oil siphoned off, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre reported.

Joaquim was carrying 3,500 tonnes of fuel oil when at her last known position on 8 August at about 1350hrs 29 nm north of Pulau Rupat in the Malacca Strait, the AIS onboard was reportedly turned off.

By the early morning hours of the next day, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) spotter aircraft found the vessel 14.1nm off Tanjung Kling.

Initial reporting revealed that about 3,000 tonnes of fuel oil had been siphoned and power to the generator was cut. The crew was safe except for the master and bunker crew who were injured after being punched by the perpetrators.

The previous two incidents occurred earlier this year on 2 May and 13 February. From the initial information received, the modus operandi of the incident involved Joaquim is similar to previous siphoning incidents