Esscom chief urges boat operators to install AIS

KOTA KINABALU: As fishing boats are now the target of kidnap-for-ransom groups, boat operators should install the Automated Identification System (AIS) as instructed by the police to enable fast and easy identification of the vessels, said Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Datuk Wan Abdul Bari Abdul Khalid.

On Saturday, Filipino gunmen snatched three Filipino Bajau fishermen near Pom Pom island off Semporna.

Efforts are underway to identify the kidnappers responsible for this latest case and to rescue the victims.

“Operators should report all their movements, activities and location to the Esscom operations centre at all times so that security forces are able to offer help when an incident occurs,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said this would make mo­­nitoring work much easier for the authorities.

Wan Abdul Bari said the security forces were unable to be at every location at all times, noting that there were hundreds of vessels on the sea at any one time.

“All crewmen must stay alert at all times when they are at sea,” he advised.

Wan Abdul Bari added that authorities arrested 26 people – 24 Filipinos and two Indonesians – for trying to sneak into Sabah via sea routes during a three-day operation beginning on Sept 9 and seized various items, including three boats, three outboard engines, a gas cylinder and provisions such as rice and sugar.

Esscom, he said, had mounted multiple patrols and operations in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone, especially in Semporna, Ta­­wau, Kunak, Lahad Datu and Sandakan.