Crew working on the OSV Armada Tuah have warned of the possibility of pirates operating around an oil field 120 km northwest of Labuan in Sabah – waters that have seen Abu Sayyaf, a Philippine militant group, rise to prominence in recent weeks.
The ship sent a distress signal on Wednesday as four smaller ships tailed it. However, Malaysian enforcement officials have yet to find any suspicious activity in the area.
A number of tugs have been targeted in the same area lately with hostages taken and ransoms demanded.
