IMB warns of dangers from pirate attacks against small tankers

IMB warns of dangers from pirate attacks against small tankers    The International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau warned in a report this week of the possibility for an environmental disaster in the Malacca Straits resulting from pirate attacks against small tankers.
   The IMB and its Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Center has recognized an increased in attacks targeted at small tankers in the region. The bureau described the attackers as “heavily armed pirates aboard fishing boards and fast craft.”
   The IMB believes these attacks are being carried out by Aceh rebels, with the intention to raise money for their operations in Sumatra.
   In July, there were three attempted boardings off the coast of Sumatra in the Malacca Straits. Pirates shot at these tankers with automatic weapons. Most recently, the fully loaded oil tanker “Penrider” was attacked by pirates wearing military-style fatigues and carrying assault rifles.
   “If Aceh rebels are behind the Penrider attack, we need to know,” said Capt. Pottengal Mukundan, IMB director. “Politically motivated pirates are prepared to take greater risks to further their cause. We have seen the devastation that results from this in other parts of the world.”
   In its latest quarterly report, the IMB reported a record 344 pirate attacks in the first nine months of 2003.