We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s dusk-to-dawn sea curfew which ends on Tuesday (Dec 1), has been extended for another two weeks until Dec 16.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali (pic) said the extension of the 6pm to 6am curfew was needed due to continuous threats from cross-border criminals, including from kidnap-for-ransom groups.
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Source: thestar.com.my
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 25) — Police killed three suspected Abu Sayyaf bombers on board a pump boat in waters off Zamboanga City Wednesday morning.
The militants were “believed to be on a bombing mission” when authorities spotted them “speeding towards Zamboanga City” at daybreak, the Philippine National Police said in a statement. Two caliber .45 pistols and a cache of explosives were recovered from their pump boat, the PNP said.
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Source: cnnphilippines.com
KOTA KINABALU: Four Indonesian hostages abducted from Sabah earlier this year are unhurt as their Abu Sayyaf captors clashed with pursuing Philippines military forces in Jolo.
Regional intelligence sources said the gunmen managed to escape the pursuing Philippines marines who killed Abu Sayyaf sub-leaders Hatib Munap and Sansibar Bencio during the gunfight at Panamao in the southern Philippines island of Jolo on Friday (Nov 20).
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Source: thestar.com.my
The ReCAAP has released a new report (Nov. 23rd) regarding ongoing attacks against shipping in the Singapore Strait. There have been a number of armed robberies in recent weeks.
Since 2019 through 2020, there is a sharp increase in the number of incidents of robbery and theft against ships while underway in the Singapore Strait (SS), compared to the period of 2016-2018. In 2019, 31 incidents were reported, and 33 incidents were reported in 2020 as of 20 Nov. The number of incidents during January-November 2020 accounts for an increase of 43% compared to January-November 2019 (23 incidents).
Although the majority of the 33 incidents reported during January-November 2020 were at a low level of severity [CAT 4 incidents where the perpetrators were not armed and the crew not harmed], the ReCAAP ISC is seriously concerned with the continued occurrence of incidents in the SS. In some incidents, perpetrators were persistent in committing crime by boarding two ships in a row within a short interval and in close proximity.
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To download the report, please click here.
Source: recaap.org
LAHAD DATU, Nov 17 — The Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) have set up a taskforce team to eradicate robberies at sea which are taking place in the waters of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).
ESSCom commander, Datuk Ahmad Fuad Othman said a special operation was also mobilised in line with the setting up of the team.
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Source: malaymail.com
The military has finally recovered the body of one of the seven alleged Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits who were killed in a maritime encounter in Patikul, Sulu last week.
Major General William Gonzales, commander of Joint Task Force (JTF) Sulu, identified the body as Dave Sawadjaan, a nephew of slain ASG leader Hajan Sawadjaan, cousin of ASG bomb expert Mundi Sawadjaan, and brother of one alias “Urot” who was also a deceased member of ASG under Hajan’s command.
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Source: mb.com.ph
By: Julie S. Alipala, Kathleen de Villa, Patricia Denise M. Chiu
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — The top leader of a kidnap-for-ransom gang affiliated with the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu was killed along with six others in a predawn operation by the military on Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command, said Mannul or Mannor Sawadjaan and his six heavily armed companions were leaving Sulare Island on a speedboat at past 1 a.m. on Tuesday when they were intercepted by government forces.
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Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
Nothing stolen; latest incidents bring Oct tally to six, highest monthly figure this year
Armed pirates stormed three ships in the Singapore Strait in the span of 2 ½ hours between Sunday night and yesterday morning.
But nothing was stolen from the bulk carriers in the three separate incidents, which took place in close proximity to one another in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the waterway.
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Source: straitstimes.com
A total of 75 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships (comprising 73 actual incidents and two attempted incidents) were reported in Asia during January-September 2020 compared to 54 incidents (comprising 49 actual incidents and five attempted incidents) during January-September 2019. This accounts for an increase of 39% in the total number of incidents reported during January-September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
Of the 75 incidents, 71 were incidents of armed robbery against ships and four were piracy incidents. The increase of incidents during January-September 2020 occurred in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, South China Sea and Singapore Strait. However, there was improvement at the ports/anchorages in China and Malaysia during January-September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
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To download the report, please click here.
Source: recaap.org
TAWAU: The army will deploy two platoons and 18 boats to strengthen security in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone).
Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom) Commander Datuk Ahmad Fuad Othman said that the matter was relayed to him by the Chief of Defence Force General Tan Sri Affendi Buang in a video conference yesterday.
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Source: thesundaily.my
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