On June 25, 2024, around 4:00 AM WIB, the Korean-flagged vessel Dongbang Giant No. 6 was targeted by three unknown individuals in a robbery in the waters of Riau Strait near Kabil, Riau Islands. Yuhanes Antara, the public relations officer for the Indonesian maritime agency Bakamla, confirmed the incident.

“Indeed, the robbery was detected by KN Tanjung Datu-301 agents of Bakamla following a VHF radio call from Batam VTS,” he stated to batamnews.co.id on June 27, 2024.

During the incident, three thieves on a boat forcibly entered the ship and stole spare parts from the engine room. They also injured one of Dongbang Giant’s crew members.

Early on June 25, the South Korean vessel Dongbang Giant No. 6 issued a distress signal while anchored off the Kabil district of Batam (Riau Islands), south of the Singapore Strait. At 3:30 AM, crew members reported that two unidentified vessels approached, and two to three suspected robbers scaled the vessel’s hull, accessing the engine room and stealing 44 spare parts, resulting in injuries to one crew member.

The KN Tanjung Datu patrol vessel responded to the distress call after intervention from Batam’s VTS operator, arriving at approximately 5:00 AM, 90 minutes after the initial call; however, the culprits had already fled the scene. One crew member sustained minor hand injuries.