Indonesia: October 4, 2002

Archives

 Despite efforts to fight piracy in Indonesian waters, the attacks continue. One pirate gang has specialized on seizing small tankers (carrying a few thousand tons of refined products, like diesel oil), quickly painting a new name on the ship, then meeting with another ship to transfer the oil, then abandoning the ship with it's crew tied up but unhurt. But efforts to reduce piracy have had an effect. There were 91 pirate attacks off Indonesia in the first six months of 2001, but only 44 in the first six months of 2002. About 600 ships pass through Indonesian waters each day, so the chances of a pirate attack are not great (one ship in 2500).