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MT Orkim Harmony arrives at Kuantan Port

The oil tanker MT Orkim Harmony , with 21 crew, arrived at Kuantan Port this morning.

A spokesperson for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the vessel arrived at the port at 7.50am and berthed at the Petronas Pier.

The tanker, laden with 6,000 tonnes of RON95 petrol, worth RM21 million, was earlier scheduled to arrive at 2am, but was delayed due to a faulty engine.

It lost communications with base at 8.57pm last June 11 at Tanjung Sedili, Kota Tinggi, in Johor.

The vessel was detected the following day, repainted and renamed ‘ Kim Harmon ’.

All the 22 crew on board the tanker were rescued at about 2.30am yesterday following negotiations between the Royal Malaysian Navy and the hijackers.

However, a member of the crew, a cook, was injured from a gunshot wound in the thigh and was flown by helicopter to Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) yesterday for treatment.

Three aircraft, a P-3C Orion, C130 and Beechcraft, were mobilised to track the hijackers who escaped from MT Orkim Harmony .

Eight Indonesian nationals, believed to be the hijackers, were detained by Vietnamese authorities near Tho Chu Island, south Vietnam, while trying to escape the hunt at 6.30am.

The Navy and MMEA are still seeking confirmation from the Vietnamese authorities whether the eight men were the hijackers of the Malaysian tanker.

Meanwhile in KUALA LUMPUR, the Malaysian maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) confirmed that the six suspects detained by the Vietnamese authorities were pirates who had hijacked MT Orkim Harmony.

Its deputy director-general of operations, Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar, said the information was conveyed to MMEA by the Vietnamese authorities.

“MMEA is now negotiating with Vietnam to bring them to Malaysia for further action,” he said when contacted by Bernama .

Meanwhile, Chief of Navy Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar said photographs of the eight suspects were shown to the injured cook and he confirmed they were the people who hijacked the vessel.

“Now, we (RMN) are handing it to MMEA for any latest development on the vessel,” he added.

- Bernama

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