THE Philippine Coast Guardreported that six gunmen dressed in black suits with masks used a grey speedboat to abduct eight crew from a Malaysia-registered fishing trawler.
As a result, the ReCP Information Sharing Centre has issued an Incident Alert on an Abduction of Crew from Fishing Boat off Pulau Tambisan, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia.
The fishing trawler was found abandoned and with no crew on board on January 17 at 3pm four nautical miles off Pulau Tambisan, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia. The following day, the Malaysian authorities reported that they had recovered three of the eight missing crew in the vicinity of Lahad Datu, Sabah.
The Philippine authorities were conducting maritime patrols in the area, including near Sulade island, which was believed to be the staging area of the perpetrators.
The Philippine and Malaysia authorities are now boosting their patrol efforts, conducting pursuit operations and intensifying its military operation to locate the five abducted Indonesian crew.
This is the first abduction of crew incident reported so far this year. There were two incidents of abduction of crew reported in 2019. All the abducted crew from the two incidents have been rescued and released.
As the risk of crew abduction in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off eastern Sabah is high as demonstrated by the recurrence of the incident on January 17, ReCP ISC is continuing to advise ships to avoid the area, or reroute.
Otherwise, ship masters and crew are strongly urged to exercise extra vigilance while transiting the area, and report immediately to the Operation Centres of Philippines and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) of Malaysia.
ReCP ISC advises the shipping industry and ships to enhance their situation awareness by referring to the 'Guidance on the Abduction of Crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and Waters off Eastern Sabah,' produced by ReCP ISC in July 2019. The guidance is available at: www.recaap.org
WORLD SHIPPING
As a result, the ReCP Information Sharing Centre has issued an Incident Alert on an Abduction of Crew from Fishing Boat off Pulau Tambisan, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia.
The fishing trawler was found abandoned and with no crew on board on January 17 at 3pm four nautical miles off Pulau Tambisan, Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia. The following day, the Malaysian authorities reported that they had recovered three of the eight missing crew in the vicinity of Lahad Datu, Sabah.
The Philippine authorities were conducting maritime patrols in the area, including near Sulade island, which was believed to be the staging area of the perpetrators.
The Philippine and Malaysia authorities are now boosting their patrol efforts, conducting pursuit operations and intensifying its military operation to locate the five abducted Indonesian crew.
This is the first abduction of crew incident reported so far this year. There were two incidents of abduction of crew reported in 2019. All the abducted crew from the two incidents have been rescued and released.
As the risk of crew abduction in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off eastern Sabah is high as demonstrated by the recurrence of the incident on January 17, ReCP ISC is continuing to advise ships to avoid the area, or reroute.
Otherwise, ship masters and crew are strongly urged to exercise extra vigilance while transiting the area, and report immediately to the Operation Centres of Philippines and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) of Malaysia.
ReCP ISC advises the shipping industry and ships to enhance their situation awareness by referring to the 'Guidance on the Abduction of Crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and Waters off Eastern Sabah,' produced by ReCP ISC in July 2019. The guidance is available at: www.recaap.org
WORLD SHIPPING