MMEA ready to offer Maritime Forensic Expert Team to Thailand

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has offered the Maritime Forensic Expert Team to Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Centre (THAI-MECC) to assist investigations in the robbery of an oil tanker belonging to a Thai company on Friday.

MMEA director-general Datuk Zulkifli Abu Bakar said the expert team has wide experience in handling high profile cases such as the robbery of MT Orkim Harmony in June 2015, which led to the arrest of the pirates.

"The team has the experience and reputation to handle such incidents," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

An oil tanker, CP41, which was sailing to Songkhla, Thailand from Singapore was robbed by a group of men who fled with 1.5 million litres of diesel from the ship's load of 3.8 million litres.

After the incident at about 9pm in the waters off Kuantan, the ship continued its journey and arrived in Songkhla on Sunday.

Zulkifli said the robbery was believed to be linked to syndicates in the fuel black market.

He said the MMEA would be stepping up cooperation with other agencies such as Customs, Marine Department and the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry to combat piracy.

-- BERNAMA