(AFP) - Officials from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will soon meet to map out a security plan after a call by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) for the region to beat the piracy scourge.

P Mukundan, director of the London-based IMB, told AFP that only with cooperation by the security forces of the three countries would teeth be added to the battle to stamp out pirates.

"From now on Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will have to work very closely to bring down the attacks against ships in the Malacca Strait," he said.

The IMB last week organised a two-day closed-door meeting of law enforcers, seafarers and shipping industry representatives.

Its focus was on Asia, the world's most pirate-infested region, and on Indonesia particularly.

According to the IMB's Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Centre, worldwide actual or attempted piracy attacks hit a 10-year quarterly high of 68 over January to March.

Indonesia accounted for 23 incidents and nine more occurred in the busy and narrow Malacca Strait.

IMB fears that a major environmental catastrophe is in the making along the Malacca Strait if piracy is not eradicated.

Mukundan said often during an attack all the crew including those on the bridge were herded into a room and tied up leaving the ship without a command.

"Our fear is very real. During the vast number of attacks on ships in the Malacca Strait, no one is conning the vessel. There is every possibility of a collision or grounding," he said,

Mukundan said the collision could involve a tanker loaded with 200,000 tons of crude oil spilling into the strait.

"I am absolutely sure countries in the region are aware of the dangers of pirate attacks even though they may rob the ship for a few hundred dollars and escape," he said.

Tankers ferry 80 percent of Japan's oil imports through the narrow Malacca Strait.

Mukundan said IMB was satisfied with Malaysia's action plan to fight the piracy scourge but expressed concern about neighbouring Indonesia's lack of resources to tackle it.

Malaysian marine police chief Muhamad Muda told AFP that security forces of the three countries would meet soon to draw up plans to conduct trilateral patrols.

"We should now focus on trilateral cooperation to weed out piracy," he said. Malaysia holds bilateral operations with either Singapore or Indonesia only.

Muhamad said trilateral cooperation would allow each country to evaluate one another's strength and weaknesses and coordinate their patrols.

"I hope we will be able to boost cooperation to include joint and combined patrols by exchanging officers on board each other's vessels," he said.

Muhamad said his message to pirates was: "Beware we know who you are, where you are and we will eliminate you."

Mukundan said besides the financial and environmental danger posed by piracy, there was also the trauma seafarers had to endure during a hijacking.

"They are totally helpless. In the middle of the sea, they do not have any support and are at the mercy of the pirates," he said.

Both Mukundan and Muhamad agreed that Japan has a crucial role to play to ensure a piracy free Malacca Strait.

"They can provide training and equipments. They have already spent quite a lot of money to enhance security in the strait," Mukundan said.