The warning by ReCAAP dated 1 May stated that members of Abu Sayaaf planned to abduct crew members for merchant vessels off Sabah in East Malaysia.
Based on information from the Philippines authorities the warning said, “The group will be using a blue 3-Engine Speedboat and expected to be underway to Sabah within the next 24 hours.”
“All vessels transiting the area are advised to exercise extreme caution when transiting in the waters in Lahad Datu and surrounding waters in Sabah.”
The warning marks the return of Islamic separatist group Abu Sayaaf in trying to kidnap seafarers for ransom in the waters around Southern Philippines and East Malaysia.
Between March 2016 and April 2017 attacks on merchant ships to abduct crew for ransom in the southern Philippines, claimed largely by Abu Sayaaf, saw 59 seafarers kidnapped from 13 vessels in the region. Read more: 'Very serious concern' over kidnapping of seafarers in Southern Philippines: ReCAAP
While there have been no attacks to kidnap seafarers in the area since April 2017 ReCAAP and other maritime security organisations have warned repeatedly that attacks might return.
Security experts Solace Global said in an advisory that Abu Sayaaf’s return to maritime piracy had been long anticipated.
Commenting on the likely profile of an attack Solace Global said: “Their historical attacks, combined with the intelligence suggesting their use of a single high-powered boat, indicates that the kidnap group is unlikely to be a numerically strong force. Considering this, they are likely to target smaller vessels such as pleasure-craft, fishing boats, or service vessels which are unlikely to be able to out manoeuvre or overbear their vessel.
“Foreign nationals may not be targets of choice, although potentially able to command a higher ransom; media coverage and law-enforcement response is likely to be more vigorous compared to an attack on local nationals.”
In the last spate of attacks Abu Sayaaf initially targeted smaller vessels, but by late 2016 they had started to attack product tankers and bulkers transiting the region.
To date there have been no reports of attacks off East Malaysia following the 1 May warning.
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