Agroup of 16 heavily-armed pirates hijacked the unnamed Thailand-owned tanker,the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported.

The incident took place on 17 April in position01° 59.8'N, 104° 25.4'E 26 nautical miles south-southwest of Pulau Aur.

Thepirates are said to have stolen part of the fuel cargo and transferred it into smaller tankers. The ship was en route from Singapore to Cambodia.

Crewand ship properties were stolen and communication equipment was damaged.