Pirates attacked a South Korean-flagged cargo ship near the Singapore Strait, reportedly stealing sailors' clothes and £10,394 in cash.
The criminals stormed the ship early this morning, assaulting the crew and making off with cash, mobile phones, clothes and even shoes, it is claimed.
Seven pirates on a speedboat attacked the CK BlueBell before dawn, leaving some crew with minor injuries, reports say.
KBS World Radio states that the armed thugs spent around 30 minutes on the vessel, which is sailing from Brazil to Incheon, in South Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a South Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries official said: "Ordinary freighters navigate at a speed below 15 knots.
"But a speedboat operated by the pirates approached the freighter at a speed above 20 knots. Afterward, seven weapons-wielding pirates got on board and assaulted the sailors for about 30 minutes."
Piracy has fallen in the busy sea lane that runs past Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in recent years amid heavier policing.
Singapore police, who manage the island nation's coastguard, did not comment immediately on the incident.
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