SINGAPORE: Vessels have been boarded and robbed repeatedly around the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, prompting warnings from security consultants and the Regional Co-operation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).
In 2024, there were 62 such incidents in the area. According to a Jan 27 (Monday) report in The Maritime Executive, there have already been seven incidents since the start of 2025, six of which took place in the region west of Pulau Cula, Indonesia. Six incidents involved bulkers, and the other was a general cargo vessel.
The Maritime Executive report called the incidents a “crime wave” taking place “near Singapore.” It noted that it is “an additional concern” that the pirates carried guns and knives in all but one incident. The remaining ones were armed with steel bars. Additionally, many of the incidents involved five or six individuals.
Fortunately, the crews of the ships boarded by pirates were not injured in the incidents, though items that were not secured, including spare parts, were stolen.
According to a report in Tradewinds, a maritime news site, the most recent incident occurred on Saturday (Jan 25), when pirates boarded a bulker at the Philip Strait. While the pirates could enter the engine room and possibly be armed, the ship could proceed without further incident.
Although piracy incidents have been on the rise in the region and around the globe, the total number of such occurrences has gone down. The number of incidents in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, which used to be an area of high concern, has stayed stable.
However, according to ReCAAP’s end-of-year 2024 report, there was a 6% increase in such cases in Asia, with 107 incidents. Most cases in the straits near Singapore occurred in the eastbound lane south of the city-state, with bulkers involved in 75% of the attacks. More than four-fifths (84%) occurred at night, with the most dangerous time being between 2:00 and 3:00 am.
While most pirates are armed, they appear to use their weapons more to threaten crew members than to cause actual harm. Nevertheless, ReCAAP is asking crews to stay even more alert against piracy and for local authorities to step up their patrols and enforcement.
Featured image: Dispen Koarmada II (II Fleet Command Information Service) /TISG
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