The Indonesian Navy has arrested the alleged “mastermind” it says was behind the hijacking of the Malaysia-flagged oil tanker MT Orkim Harmony in June.
According to the Indonesian Navy, a suspect identified as Albert Yohanes was apprehended at an apartment in Grogol Petamburan, West Jakarta, by the Navy’s Western Fleet Quick Response (WFQR) IV team.
“AY (Albert Yohanes) is suspected of being the mastermind behind the hijacking drama of the Malaysian-flagged vessel,” said a spokesman for the Indonesian Navy.
The suspect was detained for questioning in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, by the Navy Military Police before being handed over to the police for further investigation.
Orkim Harmony went missing off Pulau Aur, Malaysia, while ferrying 6,000 tonnes of petrol from from Malacca to Kuantan, Malaysia on 12 June with 22 crew members, comprising Indonesians, Malaysians, and Myanmar nationals.
The missing tanker was spotted by an Australian patrol aircraft approximately 84 n miles southwest of Phu Quoc in the Gulf of Thailand on 17 June.
The vessel, the IMO number of which was covered with black paint, had been renamed ‘Kim Harmon’.
Malaysian Navy’s patrol vessel recovered the vessel and escorted it to Kuantan on 20 June.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
