What to Look Out For 

Signs and Warning Signals of Criminal or Terrorist Behaviour

What are the Signs of Criminal or Terrorist Activity?

• Test of Security
Attempts to test security and response times when entering restricted areas.
• Surveillance
People taking pictures and making notes. Prolonged activity in one area.
• Equipment
People buying unusual equipment, chemicals, uniforms, badges etc.
• Suspicious Characters
People who are clearly not local and whose actions do not fit into the daily routine of the area.

What examples are there of suspicious activity?

• Filming adjacent to energy-related critical infrastructure, military bases, bridges and significant infrastructure.
• Filming security procedures whilst loitering around maritime facilities.
• Evasive answers to common boating questions; deliberate attempts to avoid contact with others or draw attention.
• Unusual activity, particularly late at night or early in the morning.
• Lack of or inappropriate equipment and knowledge for the environment. For example, boats moving at night with no navigational lighting; or crews of above average size, poor boat handling or inadequate dress.
• Insertion of strange objects into the waterways near bridges, pipes or critical infrastructure at unusual times or without normal support.
• Vessels entering designated maritime restricted areas (e.g. Adjacent to nuclear power plants, airports, etc.) or fishermen in non-typical locations.
• Suspicious characters or rentals.
• Someone asking to alter the usual route or trip a charter takes. Inappropriate large cash payments, daily extension of marina or port mooring.
• Efforts to gain employment at sensitive sites or with outside agencies who have access to potential targets.
• Deliberate recording of departure/docking procedures to include loading and off-loading of vehicles.
• Filming of security procedures/ID checks within a ferry terminal facility.
• Suspicious craft in close proximity to vessels underway and at the docking facility.
• Attempts to abandon a vehicle on-board a ferry and walk ashore.
• Consecutive round trips on the same ferry.
• Persons walking around the vessel, independent of each other, taking notes ostensibly on operations and meeting as a group after their observations are recorded to compare notes.