The Captain was taken hostage along with five more crew members, when 10 armed men, believed to relate with Abu Sayyaf group, boarded the vessel in November 2016, while underway off Basilan, in South Philippine sea, and abducted six of the 19 crew members onboard.
The UK P&I Club informs operators that during the recent XIX Party Congress in Beijing, the local authorities in China implemented enhanced security measures at all ports.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ meeting, held in Clark, Philippines, this week, focused on the importance of high-level discussions of strategic defense and security matters, including North Korea, terrorism and maritime security.
As part of Australia’s and the Philippines’ cooperation, defense forces will also work together to strengthen intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the southern Philippines, as well as enhancing maritime security engagement and maritime patrols between the two countries.
As navigation and propulsion systems on board ships and offshore units become increasingly dependent upon computer technology, the threat of cyber attack has emerged as a significant exposure. In a recent article, Standard Club outlines how standard P&I cover operates in respect of shipboard cyber risks.
Immigration Authorities boarded a non-Chinese flag ship alongside in Ningbo and asked the entire crew to surrender their mobile phones, content of which was uploaded to authorities’ laptop for inspection, West of Engalnd P&I Club informed citing the Hong Kong Shipowners Association.
The battle occurring in the southern Philippine city of Marawi between supporters of Islamic State and the Philippine’s government, has raised many fears for piracy, kidnapping and terrorism. SQE MARINE consulting company informs about the new security transit corridors which have been set in the aforementioned areas.
Philippine troops have safely rescued a Vietnamese sailor, who was seized by Abu Sayyaf terrorists more than nine months ago, off Basilan province, a top military official announced on Monday. The sailor was kidnapped in November 2016 from the bulk carrier Royal 16, together with five more crew men, in the vicinity of Coco Island.
The North of England P&I Club draws attention to a new UKMTO notice which urges vigilance to vessels transiting Bab El Mandeb from the Gulf of Aden, following recent attacks on two vessels which fired upon with small arms and rocket propelled grenades from multiple small skiffs.
The Armed Forces of the Philippine confirmed that Abu Sayyaf group beheaded two Vietnamese sailors, who have been held as hostages for the last eight months. The victims were two of six crew members kidnapped by the ASG, after it hijacked their ship, Royal 16 bulk-carrier, off Basilan waters, in November 2016.
