REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- Two Indonesian ships (KRI) of the Western Fleet Command successfully prevented Panama ship MV New Emerald from being captured by pirates in the Philips Strait on Friday (November 21).

"The (ships') fast response reflects the fleet command's seriousness in fighting piracy and robbery in Indonesian waters," the Information Chief of the Western Fleet Command, Lieutenant Colonel Ariris Miftachurrahman, stated in a press release received here on Friday.

Both Indonesian ships were part of the Cakra Arnawa Operation and the Indonesia-Singapore Boundary Security Operation. The fleet was informed about the piracy by an Indonesian liaison officer of the Information Fusion Center (IFC) of Singapore.

The KRI Sanca 815, led by Captain Eko Yudi, and the KRI Todak 631, led by Commander Mayor Sandy Kurniawan, were on duty for the Indonesia-Singapore Boundary Security Operation when they were deployed to intercept, capture, and investigate the modus operandi of the target.

"Both ships successfully detected the location of MV New Emerald immediately. They escorted the ship to the waters of the Jodoh Gulf of Batam city, Riau Islands," Miftachurrahman affirmed.

Preliminary investigation of the Panama ship revealed no human or material loss from the piracy act.

"It seems that the pirates fled before the two KRIs arrived at the scene," the lieutenant colonel noted.

An intelligence team of the Tanjungpinang Navy Base and several personnel of KRI Todak 631 led further investigations on the ship that was still anchored in Jodoh Gulf of Batam on Friday evening.

"The IFC of Singapore was really appreciated following the immediate response of the Western Command Fleet. The success of the operation was also a result of good coordination among the fleet, the Western Fleet Battle Unit, and the Western Fleet Ocean Security Unit," Miftachurrahman added.

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