INDONESIA: Pirates hijack white pepper worth US$2m

The International Maritime Bureau has reported the disappearance of a ship carrying two million dollars worth of white pepper and tin, following a pirate attack off the Indonesian coast. The MV Inabukwa had been sailing from the Indonesian port of Pangkalabalam for Singapore. Armed pirates attacked, blindfolded the captain and the 22 crew members and forced them to leave the ship, abandoning them on a deserted island. They were found by fishermen three days later, but their ship was not and its pepper cargo is thought to be on the world market. The IMB warned that ship owners should install hidden tracking devices on ships, in case they are stolen by pirates.