Regional anti-piracy body ReCAAP said a Malaysian-registered tugboat Woodman 38, towing barge Woodman 39 was last contacted on 27 July near Balabac Island in the Philippines, two days after the vessels left Miri, Malaysia bound for Samarinda, Indonesia.
After the last contact the vessel with 12 crew onboard had its tracking system switched off. The vessels failed to arrive in Samarinda on 31 July and the Malaysian owner alerted ReCAAP, who in turn alerted the Malaysian and Indonesian authorities.
“The ReCAAP ISC requests all vessels transiting the area to look out for Woodman 38 and Woodman 39 and to report sightings of the vessels to the nearest coastal State. The tug boat, Woodman 38 originally painted blue may have been repainted and renamed,” ReCAAP said.
Vessels that have been hijacked in Southeast Asia are frequently renamed and repainted to trade as so-called "phantom" ships.
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