Kuala Lumpur: Armed pirates raided a Japanese oil tanker in the Strait of Malacca, abducting three Indonesian crew members and stealing some of the vessel's shipment of diesel fuel, the International Maritime Bureau said today.

The attack occurred early Tuesday off Malaysia's west coast, said Noel Choong, head of IMB's Kuala Lumpur-based piracy reporting centre. The diesel oil tanker was believed to be en route to Myanmar from Singapore.

Malaysia's Star Online quoted Port Klang Marine Police commander DSP Norzaid Muhammad Said as saying that at the time of the incident, the ship was sailing 16 nautical miles off Pulau Ketam, on its way to Myanmar.

Currently the ship is anchored while police are investigating the case. [23/04/14]