The Indonesian Navy has apprehended the suspected “mastermind” of the Orkim Harmony hijacking.
As informed by the local media, the naval forces arrested a man in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, identified as Albert Yohanes, as he is believed to had planned the hijacking of Orkim’s oil tanker in June this year.
The arrest comes following months of investigation by both Indonesian and Malaysian authorities.
Navy spokesman Col M. Zainudin told The Jakarta Post late Friday that the suspect is being questioned and would be handed over to the police, adding that his extradiction to Malaysian authorities remains a possibility.
In June, Vietnamese maritime authorities arrested eight suspected hijackers off the Tho Chu Island, all Indonesian nationals, who later on confessed to hijacking of the Malaysia-flagged tanker Orkim Harmony. The group remains in custody of the Vietnamese authorities.
Malaysia plans to ask Vietnam to extradite the eight men on the grounds that the crime had been committed in Malaysian waters, on a Malaysia-flagged vessel.
MT Orkim Harmony went missing off Malaysia on June 11 with 22 crew members on board. The tanker was loaded with 6,000 tons of fuel, worth approximately USD 5.6 million.
Royal Malaysian Navy recovered the tanker eight days later. All 22 crew were reported safe and unharmed except the cook, an Indonesian national, who suffered a gunshot injury to his thigh.