Pirates focus on tankers between Middle East and China

Bloomberg/Fuel Fix:

Hijackings of small oil tankers by armed gangs are increasing in Southeast Asia, home to the shortest sea-trade route between the Middle East and China, even as pirate attacks globally fell for a third year.

Five of the six vessels seized worldwide in the third quarter were in Southeast Asia, said the International Maritime Bureau and International Chamber of Commerce. There’s been 178 global piracy incidents so far this year, down from 352 in 2011, they said in an e-mailed report today.

Gangs of thieves armed with knives and guns are making Southeast Asian waters increasingly dangerous for small tankers carrying fuels such as gas oil or marine diesel, according to the report. The region includes the Malacca Strait connecting the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and the Pacific that’s been described by the U.S. Energy Information Administration as one of the world’s “most strategic choke points.”
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In Somalia, where armed guards and naval patrols have helped deter and repel attacks on a trade lane linking Europe to Asia, 40 hostages are still being held for ransom, according to the report.

“Some of those crew members have been held captive there for more than four years now, with fading hopes of immediate release,” Mukundan said.
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The best way to deter pirates is to attack their base of operations.  Those are not that hard to find in Somalia, but may require more intelligence operations in Asian waters.  It is in the Chinese interest to attack this problem.