A tugboat with seven (7) crew was in waters off the east coast of Sabah on Borneo island, about 3.6 nautical miles from nearby Kampung Sinakut beach when it was attacked by armed men in a white boat late on Saturday, July 9, 2016, according to Sabah police commissioner Abdul Rashid Harun.
The five abductors were armed with rifles and also had a granade launcher and using a speedboat. Four other crew members were left behind and said the kidnappers were on their tugboat for 30 minutes and no violence took place.
It was not immediately clear whether the men were seized by Abu Sayyaf Group, a group of Islamic militants on Southern Philippines that is responsible for recent beheadings of two Canadians hostages and notorious for the extortion of millions of dollars in ransoms.
Three men kidnapped were reported to be Lorens Koten aged 34, Teo Dores Kopong aged 40 and a 46-year-old identified only as Emanuel.
This is the latest of the reported string of abductions in the region, following the seven (7) Indonesian sailors abducted last June. At least 17 other Indonesian sailors had been kidnapped in separate incidents in March and April of this year. All victims had been released by the bandits.
In Jakarta, the Indonesian foreign ministry said it had no information yet on the abductions. The Indonesia already announced a hold for coal transport to the Philippines following the serious number of kidnappings.
Because of these number of incidents, Indonesia says the Southern region of the Philippines could be the “new Somalia”. The Philippine government with other nearby country are cooperating to fight this piracy to have safe sea zone because it greatly affects each countries economics.
Seafarers are advised to take additional precautions sailing on these waters and nearby.
READ ALSO : According to latest report Asian Maritime Crime decreased by 64% - ReCAAP
The five abductors were armed with rifles and also had a granade launcher and using a speedboat. Four other crew members were left behind and said the kidnappers were on their tugboat for 30 minutes and no violence took place.
It was not immediately clear whether the men were seized by Abu Sayyaf Group, a group of Islamic militants on Southern Philippines that is responsible for recent beheadings of two Canadians hostages and notorious for the extortion of millions of dollars in ransoms.
Abu Sayyaf Group from Youtube |
This is the latest of the reported string of abductions in the region, following the seven (7) Indonesian sailors abducted last June. At least 17 other Indonesian sailors had been kidnapped in separate incidents in March and April of this year. All victims had been released by the bandits.
In Jakarta, the Indonesian foreign ministry said it had no information yet on the abductions. The Indonesia already announced a hold for coal transport to the Philippines following the serious number of kidnappings.
Because of these number of incidents, Indonesia says the Southern region of the Philippines could be the “new Somalia”. The Philippine government with other nearby country are cooperating to fight this piracy to have safe sea zone because it greatly affects each countries economics.
Seafarers are advised to take additional precautions sailing on these waters and nearby.
READ ALSO : According to latest report Asian Maritime Crime decreased by 64% - ReCAAP
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