An international piracy watchdog today said an organised criminal syndicate may be behind the hijacking of a Malaysian-registered oil tanker in Indonesian waters and urged security authorities in the region to boost joint patrols.

Some 15 pirates armed with guns boarded the "Nautica Kluang," bound for Labuan in eastern Sabah state on Borneo island from the southern state of Malacca on Saturday. It was carrying 2,891 tonnes of diesel oil.

"The pirates came along the tanker on a speed boat and boarded it. They tied up the crew," Noel Choong, regional manager of the Piracy Reporting Centre based in Kuala Lumpur told AFP .

Choong said the pirates' modus operandi was similar to that of syndicates which targeted slow-moving oil tankers in 1988.

"They took over the helm, changed the name of the ship to 'Caklu' to avoid detection and siphon the oil to another ship," he said, adding the ship was abandoned on Sunday.

Regional cooperation

Choong said the watchdog was concerned that pirates had struck three ships in September at a time when regional cooperation against piracy was at its height.

The latest incident happened near Iyu Kecil island at the mouth of the Singapore Straits in Indonesian waters, he said. The 13 crew including the captain were unharmed.

Choong said the area was a hijacking hotspot where tankers had been boarded by pirates on two previous occasions.

"We hope security in Indonesian waters and in the Malacca Straits will be beefed up," he said.

About 600 ships, including tankers, ply the narrow Malacca Straits daily. Japan and other eastern countries are dependent on the Malacca Straits for their trade with the rest of the world.

Hit-and-run attacks

But the shipping lane, which separates Malaysia and Indonesia, is plagued by hit-and-run attacks by pirates searching for cash from ships' safes.

Choong said authorities must conduct investigations and bring the culprits to justice.

The watchdog said in the first six months of 2002 there were nine incidents in the Malacca Straits; Indonesian waters 44 and in the Singapore Straits three compared to 17, 91 and seven respectively for the whole of 2001.

Choong urged ships to maintain anti-piracy patrol onboard when passing risk areas.

"Pirates launch suprise attacks. The only way to beat off attacks is to be alert," he said. — AFP