Ship and 22 crew disappeared off the coast of Malaysia

World Today

The search is on for a ship that disappeared off Malaysia’s southeast coast late Thursday. Authorities believe it was hijacked for its oil cargo. It’s part of a growing trend of small oil tankers in Southeast Asia being targeted by pirates. CCTV America’s Rian Maelzer filed this report from Kuala Lumpur.
Follow Rian Maelzer on Twitter @@rdamael

More details:

  • The ship was likely targeted for its cargo of 6000 metric tonnes of petroleum, valued at more than five million dollars.
  • Attacks toward ships with oil cargo have become increasingly common in this region’s waters, mostly by Indonesian gangs, but rarely do they commandeer a ship for this long.
  • Kuala Lumpur is home to the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center, which works with shipping companies and governments to combat the threat of piracy.