With three incidents onboard ships within a short period of time while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Singapore Strait (SS) on 18 October, the ReCAAP ISC issued an alert to the maritime community on the continued occurrence of incidents of sea robbery in that area and warned a possibility of further incidents.

“The three incidents occurred within two hours, and two of the incidents occurred in proximity to each other (less than 1 nm apart), off Pulau Karimun Kecil, Indonesia,” the regional inert-governmental anti-piracy information sharing centre said.

According to ReCAAP, all three incidents occurred onboard bulk carriers while transiting the Phillip Channel. Engine spares were stolen in one incident, while all the crew members were not injured in all three incidents.

ReCAAP ISC said with these three incidents, a total of 39 incidents have been reported in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) since January this year. Of these, 38 incidents occurred in the SS and one incident in the Malacca Strait (MS).

The ReCAAP ISC urged the littoral States to increase patrols/surveillance in their respective waters, respond promptly to incidents reported by ships, strengthen coordination and promote information sharing on incidents and criminal groups involved to arrest the perpetrators.

It also advised the ships to intensify vigilance and maintain sharp look-out while transiting the areas of concern, particularly during hours of darkness, adopt preventive measures recommended in the ReCAAP ISC’s Regional Guide 2 to counter piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia and report all incidents immediately to the nearest coastal State and flag State.

Meanwhile, in a dialogue session in Singapore, the ReCAAP ISC put forward a number of risk mitigation measures in top areas of concern in Asian waters to combat piracy and ship robbery.

The centre held dialogue with the law enforcement agencies in Singapore and global shipping companies with an office in Singapore advocating for ships to adopt technology to deter unauthorised ship boarding while transiting high-risk areas in Asia.

There was also deliberation on the IMO “insider threat” toolkit for the shipping industry to identify employees who might be involved in or facilitate security incidents due to ignorance, complacency, or malicious intent.

The ReCAAP ISC identified coastal waters, narrow straits with high vessel traffic and anchorages, where incidents of armed robbery against ships are more likely to occur as areas of concern.

The Singapore Police Coast Guard briefed participants on its joint efforts with law enforcement agencies of littoral states of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) to deter and combat sea robbery, as well as ship security measures vessels can adopt when transiting areas of concern.

At the dialogue session, the ReCAAP ISC updated participants on the situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia (ARAS). The Centre reported that a total of 68 incidents occurred in Asia in the first nine months of 2024 which is a 19% decrease in the number of incidents compared to the same period last year. The Straits of Malacca and Singapore witnessed a 38% decrease in robbery incidents, a significant improvement in comparison with incidents of 2023.

ReCAAP ISC Executive Director, Krishnaswamy Natarajan stated, “It is encouraging to see a remarkable improvement in the sea robbery situation in the SOMS. This can be attributed to proactive monitoring and enforcement by the law enforcement agencies of the coastal States and enhanced vigilance by the shipping community.”

During the dialogue session, participants deliberated on the efforts adopted by ship crew, the use of technology to deter unauthorised ship boarding, and the need to instil awareness among crew in evidence collection and preservation to assist in follow-on investigations.

The potential coordination role which ship agents can play in assisting local authorities with investigations, and facilitating the ships to proceed to the next port without delay and incurring financial loss, was also discussed during the session.