Diesel from 'MT Ai Maru' was from S'pore, not smuggled

PUTRAJAYA: The 700,000 litres of diesel worth RM2.1 million which was robbed from the tanker ship 'MT Ai Maru' seized by pirates at 31 Nautical Miles north of Tanjung Sedili, Johor on June 15 was not smuggled, but came from a super tanker in Singapore.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Deputy Director-General (Operations) Datuk Mohd Puzi Ab Kahar said this was based on a scrutiny of the document submitted by a senior manager of the shipping company from Singapore who gave his cooperation to the Malaysian Maritime agency to carry out an investigation.
He also said that 14 crew members who were Thai nationals and the Indonesian skipper who were previously detained for investigation on the involvement of insiders, had also been allowed to return home last week.
In the incident at 8pm, the ship, which was registered in Honduras and was travelling from Singapore to Cambodia, had been seized by a group of pirates who were reported to be using a speed boat and 70,000 litres of diesel fuel had been pumped out into another ship which could not be identified.
Mohd Puzi said, however, investigation into the case was ongoing based on the evidence found on the ship, namely a pair of gloves and a spent cartridge. – Bernama