So far during 2015 a total of 273 incidents involving tankers have been reported, including 40 hijackings by pirates. If tanker hijackings continue at this rate for the whole of 2015 then 60 will have occurred, the lowest level since 2010. An example of tanker hijacking that has occurred in 2015 took place on 8th August. The 3,421 dwt, 1995-built "Joaquim" was hijacked by pirates whilst in the Malacca Straits. The vessel had a cargo of fuel oil and the pirates appeared to be targeting the vessel in order to steal its cargo. Indeed, the vessel was released two days later and the crew were unharmed. This type of attack is typical of a number of recent reported piracy attacks, with several smaller product tankers being targeted for their cargoes in South East Asia.
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