TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Navy’s Western Fleet Quick Respons (WFQR) team of Tanjung Pinang Naval Base has arrested Vier Harmoni tanker in the waters of Dato Island, West Kalimantan. The Malaysian-flagged tanker carrying 900,000 litre of diesel fuel had been missing in Johor waters and allegedly taken to Batam waters.

“The ship has been escorted to Tanjung Pinang port for futher investigation,” said the Navy’s Public Relations Department chief First Admiral Edi Sucipto in a press release, Thursday, August 25, 2016.

According to Edi, the search for Vier Harmoni commenced soon after a report that the tanker was taken to Batam waters. Malaysian maritime authorities had suspected that the ship was hijacked after it was declared missing on August 17, but it wasn’t to be. “At that point, the Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Ade Supandi had instructed an immediate search.”

Following the insruction, the WFQR team of Tanjung Pinang Naval Base promptly deployed several war ships, choppers and a maritime surveillance aircraft. “Vier Harmoni is expected to arrive Thursday noon,” Edi said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said earlier that Vier Harmoni had nothing to do with piracy, it was instead an internal conflict between the ship’s owner and its crew members.

“It’s an internal conflict between the ship company and its crew members,” Arrmanatha said at the Foreign Ministry compound, Pejambon, Jakarta, August 18, 2016.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry did not see involvement of any Indonesian national in the incident. However, he expressed that the government would not interfere yet.

“It’s a problem between ship owner and crew members, not between Indonesia and Malaysia, thus, it will be handled by the company,” he said.

YOHANES PASKALIS