We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
MANILA, Philippines — With still no contact or proof of life, authorities believe that a British businessman and his wife who were snatched in a coastal village in Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur and their captors are constantly on the move.
Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said the kidnappers are on the run with their victims to evade government forces.
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Source: philstar.com
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 8): The curfew in the waters off seven districts in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone), which ends today, has been extended to Oct 23, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah.
The curfew from 6pm to 6am covers the waters off Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran, he said in a statement on Monday (Oct 7).
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Source: theedgemarkets.com
KOTA KINABALU — The Malaysian police are working with their Philippine counterparts to secure the release of three Indonesian fishermen kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen off Lahad Datu on Sept 23.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said the kidnappers made their ransom demand during a call to one of the victim’s sisters in Sandakan on Sept 30.
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Source: globalnation.inquirer.net
KOTA KINABALU: Security forces in Sabah’s east coast remain on high alert a week into intelligence information saying that Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen were on their way to Sabah to kidnap high-value targets.
Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) Datuk Hazani Ghazali said they had mobilised their assets to high-risk areas and the alleged target area of Mataking and Pom-Pom island in Semporna, famed among tourists, following the information on Sept 30.
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Source: thestar.com.my
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A British businessman and his Filipino wife were snatched by at least four gunmen in a coastal village in Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur on Friday.
Allan Hyrons, 70, and his wife Wilma were seized at Hyrons Beach Resort, which the couple own, in Barangay Alindahaw at around 6:50 p.m., Maj. Helen Galvez, Zamboanga peninsula police spokesperson, said.
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Source: philstar.com
MarsecNews: Although there has so far been no confirmation of the kidnappers’ identity, the Abu Sayyaf Group remain the most likely suspects. Of key concern is their violence; they are known to execute hostages if ransoms are withheld. We hope for a speedy resolution. Reports in the last 24 hours indicate that the AFP organised a naval blockade in an attempt to prevent the suspects from escaping. It would appear that this was unsuccessful.
In the Sulu Seas, kidnap-for-ransom activities perpetrated by Islamic State-linked terrorist networks are on the rise again.
By Kenneth Yeo
On September 23, a group of seven gunmen aboard two pump boats ambushed and seized three fishermen off the coast of East Sabah, in a sign of how the Islamic State (IS) and its affiliated networks continue to trouble the Southeast Asian region. The latest attack follows a surge in ambushes and kidnappings in the last two years along the Sulu Seas, which encompasses the waters around Indonesia, Malaysia’s eastern Sabah state and the Philippines, and has long been a hotspot for piracy and sea robbery. Although there was no claim of responsibility, the attackers are said to be members of an Abu Sayyaf splinter group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) in Sulu province. It is believed the seven gunman, who were masked, boarded two fishing vessels around midday local time, and abducted three crew members.
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Source: thediplomat.com
KOTA KINABALU: The family of one of three recently abducted Indonesians fishermen has received a ransom demand from their kidnappers.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said according to their Philippines counterparts, the kidnappers had made the call a few days after the Sept 23 incident.
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Source: thestar.com.my
Michael van Ginkel
Illicit activity in the Sulu and Celebes Seas continues to pose a daunting maritime security challenge for the Philippines. The recent kidnapping of nine fishermen off the coast of Borneo and the increasingly violent modus operandi of the militant Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have raised safety concerns amongst Philippine policy makers and local communities. Although the Philippines has initiated several maritime enforcement initiatives, including the extensive National Coastal Watch System (NCWS), the government needs to enhance cooperation between land-based and maritime operations and increase engagement between military and civilian agencies to improve regional maritime stability.
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Source: theaseanpost.com
Along with Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan – who is said to be the leader of the Islamic State in the Philippines – a female named Almaida Marani Salvin is also included on the United States’ blacklist
MANILA, Philippines – The United States has added Abu Sayyaff sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who is said to be the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Philippines, to its list of global terrorists.
Along with Sawadjaan, a female named Almaida Marani Salvin was also included in the US Treasury’s sanctions blacklist. Salvin was said to have “materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support ” to ISIS-Philippines.
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Source: rappler.com
KOTA KINABALU-The confinement order in the waters of seven districts in the eastern Sabah (ESSZone) End of tomorrow will be extended until September 23.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah says the curfew from 6 pm to 6 a.m. covers the waters of Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Kinabatangan, Sandakan and Beluran.
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Source: translatetheweb.com
Maritime Security News 