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STAR Team On Point

The STAR team leader handing over a hand written letter to a Bakamla personnel likely stating that they handed over the oil tanker to the Indonesian authorities. Bakamla picture.

SHAH ALAM: MMEA’s Special Task and Rescue Team (STAR) was instrumental in the seizure of an Iranian flagged oil tanker on July 7. The oil tanker MT Arman 114 was suspected of involvement in the illegal transshipment of crude oil to another vessel without a permit, the Indonesian Coast Guard or Bakamla announced on July 11.

Arman 114 was carrying 272,569 metric tons of light crude oil, valued at $304 million, when it was seized. Arman 114 was spotted initially in Indonesian waters off Batam with another tanker identified as S.Tinos, while conducting the illegal transshipment on July 7.

MT Arman 114 and S Tinos seen together prior to the seizure. Bakamla picture.

However, both vessels tried to flee even with one of them (Arman 114) had been boarded by Indonesian coast guard personnel. As Arman 114 had sailed into Malaysian waters, Bakamla contacted the APMM/MMEA for help in stopping the vessel.
MMEA STAR team fast roping on Arman 114 from the AW139 helicopter. Bakamla picture.

A STAR team flew to scene on board an AW139 helicopter and fast roped onto the vessel and finally subdued the crew. The oil tanker and its crew were handed over to Bakamla officials.
The STAR team with a Bakamla official likely after the Arman 114 seizure. Bakamla.

According to Bakamla, the list of charges against Arman 114 include illegal transhipment; waste dumping and Automatic Identification System (AIS) spoofing (during the incident, Arman 114 AIS showed it was supposed to be in the Red Sea).
A boarding party from Bakamla patrol vessel in a RHIB moving towards to the two oil tankers. Bakamla picture.

Arman 114 is currently berthed off Batam for further investigations. MMEA has not issued any statement on the incident. Once it does, this post will be updated.

— Malaysian Defence

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Marhalim Abas: Shah Alam

View Comments (30)

  • Its all well and good to see there are mutual cooperation and communication between our nations coastguards, but I am wondering if MMEA would have known about this intrusion if they weren't informed and requested for help from Bakamla?

  • Congratulations to the STAR team on mission well done.

    MMEA needs more resources to fulfil its duties. For 1 good news like this, plenty more news of MMEA not able to help due to limited resources.

  • When its said that it managed to escape, does it mean that it totally disappeared or just escaped to international waters?

  • Kind of odd that this ghosting of AIS could easily happen and the ship is dozens of miles away, I can't imagine what would be if terrorists could hijack highly flammable tankers, spoof the AIS so authorities could not track them, and do a 911 on major ports. Its likely the damage and lives lost could be similar to Beirut port explosion or worse.

    • Thats the reason Singapore put a lot of effort in their maritime domain

  • “nication between our nations coastguards, but I am wondering if MMEA would have known about this intrusion if they weren’t informed and requested for help from Bakamla?”

    There are a chain of radars in the Melaka Straits operated by the Maritime Institute but I doubt we have any coverage in the Batam are. If the situation was reversed would Bakamla have detected an intrusion our waters? Who knows.