KOTA KINABALU: A Vietnamese cargo vessel that managed to evade a speedboat carrying armed gunmen in Philippines waters has now been safely escorted to Sandakan. The Vietnamese vessel, with its cargo of foodstuff, entered Malaysian waters at about 4.30pm Sunday after making a Mayday call. It was met at the border by a Malaysian navy vessel and escorted by KD Sri Tiga into Sandakan. The speedboat carrying the gunmen has yet to be tracked down. Malaysian security forces under Esscom have stepped up the alert along the nautical border with southern Philippines, especially with increased activity by Abu Sayyaf-linked groups seeking to kidnap victims for ransom.

Source: The Star March 06, 2017 04:41 UTC