One coastal tanker hijacked in SE Asia every two weeks: ICC

LONDON - A small coastal tanker is hijacked by pirates in Southeast Asia every two weeks on average, according to a new report from the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

Southeast Asia accounts for 55% of the world's 54 piracy and armed robbery incidents since the start of 2015, the ICC says.
After a steady drop in global piracy over the last few years, attacks rose 10% in the first quarter of 2015 on the same period of 2014. Worldwide, pirates took 140 hostages in the first three months of 2015, three times as many as during the same period in 2014. A total of 13 seafarers were assaulted and three injured. www.iccwbo.org (ATI).