Three incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (one CAT 3 incident and two CAT 4 incidents) were reported to ReCAAP ISC, between 14th and 20th May 2024.
New Incidents
The CAT 3 incident occurred onboard a tanker while anchored at Chattogram Anchorage area, Bangladesh on 13 May, while the two CAT 4 incidents occurred onboard a container ship while anchored at Manila Anchorage area, the Philippines on 10 May, and a general cargo ship while anchored at Dubai Anchorage, Indonesia on 15 May. The crew members were not injured in all three incidents.
Downgrading Threat Level
The efforts by the Philippine Government in Zamboanga, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi through the conduct of continuous military operations led to the dismantling of the support base and neutralizing of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the Sulu archipelago. Against this backdrop, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), coordinated with other stakeholders and counterparts that have vital involvement in the maritime security of the Sulu-Celebes Seas, reviewed the threat situation, and recommended further downgrading the threat level of ‘Abduction of the crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas’ from ‘MODERATE’ to ‘MODERATE LOW’, which implies that ‘Incidents are unlikely to occur due to perpetrators’ perceived lack of capability to orchestrate an attack. Nevertheless, minimal damages are expected to the vessel and crew in case of an attack.
Update of ReCAAP ISC Advisory
With the downgrading of the threat of the ‘Abduction of Crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes seas by the PCG, ReCAAP ISC has updated its Advisory for ships to “exercise vigilance & adopt necessary preventive measures while transiting the area”.
For ships transiting the area, the ship masters and crew are strongly encouraged to exercise extra vigilance and report all incidents immediately to the Operation Centres of the Philippines and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) of Malaysia.
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Source: Safety4sea
