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The Star
06-08-2025
- The Star
Anti-piracy watchdog logs 94 robberies on ships in Straits of Malacca and Singapore as of July 2025
SIBU: A total of 94 incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in the first seven months of this year. "According to the latest data from ReCAAP ISC (Information Sharing Centre), there were 111 incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia between January and July 2025. 'Of these, 94 incidents occurred in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS area), making up 85% of the total number of incidents in Asia," said ReCAAP ISC assistant director Kwon Soon Tae at the Anti-Piracy Forum 2025 here on Wednesday (August 6). The forum was jointly organised by the Sarawak and Sabah Shipowners Association (SSSA) and ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia). Kwon highlighted that most of these incidents involved large vessels. 'We are seeing more cases of unauthorised boarding of barges towed by tugboats, mainly to steal scrap metal." "From January to July this year, seven incidents involving tugs and barges were reported in the SOMS area, compared to four cases during the same period in 2024," he said. Explaining the ReCAAP, Kwon said that it is the first and only regional government-to-government agreement focused on combating piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. "The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre's mandate is to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. We conduct our activities through three main pillars: information sharing, capacity building, and cooperative arrangements. "We regularly engage partners like SSSA, other shipping associations, and governmental agencies. By working together, we aim to reach out to shipowners, masters and crew, and law enforcement agencies to find ways to prevent sea robbery and related crimes," he said. Meanwhile, state Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Henry Harry Jinep told reporters that no incidents of piracy or robbery had been reported on rivers in Sarawak. "Our rivers are safe. We don't have piracy or robbery," he said.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Ship piracy, robberies rise 83% in Southeast Asia in Jan-June, anti-piracy group says
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -There were 95 piracy and armed robberies against ships in Asia from January to June this year, an 83% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Information Sharing Centre of intergovernmental anti-piracy group ReCAAP. Most of the incidents occurred in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, which the watchdog flagged as an area of concern. There were 80 incidents in these waters over the period, compared to 21 in the first half of 2024. Most incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore were not severe, with no ship crew injured 90% of the time. Nine in 10 incidents happened after dark, said the information centre for ReCAAP, which stands for the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia. The group said there was no evidence to suggest that ships of a particular flag were being targeted, and that incidents tended to occur on ships that were slow moving and had crew who were less vigilant. "Perpetrators take grave risk to their lives during attacks on the ships to steal low value items. This indicates that socioeconomic conditions are driving the perpetrators to commit crimes," said the anti-piracy group. In half of the 80 cases in the two Southeast Asian waterways, nothing was stolen, while in 29% of the incidents, the attackers took engine spares. About half of the attacks in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore were on bulk carriers and a quarter on tankers, the information centre said. "In most incidents, the criminals boarded ships that were ill-prepared, had low freeboard, and manoeuvred at slow speed in restricted areas of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore," the ReCAAP centre said, referring to narrow parts of the straits where there is congestion and less space to manoeuvre. Authorities in the region should increase their presence in places where piracy and armed robberies repeatedly occur while crews need to be more vigilant, said Vijay D Chafekar, executive director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre. "Shipmasters transiting the areas of concern need to increase watchkeeping on deck during hours of darkness and install preventive measures to deter unauthorised boarding," Chafekar said.
GMA Network
10-07-2025
- GMA Network
Ship piracy, robberies rise 83% in Asia from Jan-Jun, anti-piracy group says
SINGAPORE - There were 95 piracy and armed robberies against ships in Asia from January to June this year, an 83% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Information Sharing Centre of intergovernmental anti-piracy group ReCAAP. Most of the incidents occurred in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, which the watchdog flagged as an area of concern. There were 80 incidents in these waters over the period, compared to 21 in the first half of 2024. Most incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore were not severe, with no ship crew injured 90% of the time. Nine in ten incidents happened after dark, said the information centre for ReCAAP, which stands for the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia. In half of the 80 cases in the two Southeast Asian straits, nothing was stolen, while in 29% of the incidents, the attackers took engine spares. About half of the attacks in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore were on bulk carriers and a quarter on tankers, the information centre said. "In most incidents, the criminals boarded ships that were ill-prepared, had low freeboard, and manoeuvred at slow speed in restricted areas of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore," the ReCAAP centre said. Authorities in the region should increase their presence in places where piracy and armed robberies repeatedly occur to arrest the culprits, said Vijay D Chafekar, executive director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre. "Shipmasters transiting the areas of concern need to increase watchkeeping on deck during hours of darkness and install preventive measures to deter unauthorised boarding," Chafekar said. — Reuters
Malay Mail
10-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Piracy surges 83pc in Asian waters, with most attacks in Straits of Malacca and Singapore
SINGAPORE, July 10 — There were 95 piracy and armed robberies against ships in Asia from January to June this year, an 83 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Information Sharing Centre of intergovernmental anti-piracy group ReCAAP. Most of the incidents occurred in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, which the watchdog flagged as an area of concern. There were 80 incidents in these waters over the period, compared to 21 in the first half of 2024. Most incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore were not severe, with no ship crew injured 90 per cent of the time. Nine in 10 incidents happened after dark, said the information centre for ReCAAP, which stands for the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia. The group said there was no evidence to suggest that ships of a particular flag were being targeted, and that incidents tended to occur on ships that were slow moving and had crew who were less vigilant. 'Perpetrators take grave risk to their lives during attacks on the ships to steal low value items. This indicates that socioeconomic conditions are driving the perpetrators to commit crimes,' said the anti-piracy group. In half of the 80 cases in the two Southeast Asian waterways, nothing was stolen, while in 29 per cent of the incidents, the attackers took engine spares. About half of the attacks in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore were on bulk carriers and a quarter on tankers, the information centre said. 'In most incidents, the criminals boarded ships that were ill-prepared, had low freeboard, and manoeuvred at slow speed in restricted areas of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore,' the ReCAAP centre said, referring to narrow parts of the straits where there is congestion and less space to manoeuvre. Authorities in the region should increase their presence in places where piracy and armed robberies repeatedly occur while crews need to be more vigilant, said Vijay D Chafekar, executive director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre. 'Shipmasters transiting the areas of concern need to increase watchkeeping on deck during hours of darkness and install preventive measures to deter unauthorised boarding,' Chafekar said. — Reuters
Business Times
10-07-2025
- Business Times
Ship piracy, robberies rise 83% in South-east Asia in Jan-June, anti-piracy group says
[SINGAPORE] There were 95 piracy and armed robberies against ships in Asia from January to June this year, an 83 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Information Sharing Centre of intergovernmental anti-piracy group ReCAAP. Most of the incidents occurred in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, which the watchdog flagged as an area of concern. There were 80 incidents in these waters over the period, compared to 21 in the first half of 2024. Most incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore were not severe, with no ship crew injured 90 per cent of the time. Nine in 10 incidents happened after dark, said the information centre for ReCAAP, which stands for the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia. The group said there was no evidence to suggest that ships of a particular flag were being targeted, and that incidents tended to occur on ships that were slow moving and had crew who were less vigilant. 'Perpetrators take grave risk to their lives during attacks on the ships to steal low value items. This indicates that socioeconomic conditions are driving the perpetrators to commit crimes,' said the anti-piracy group. In half of the 80 cases in the two South-east Asian waterways, nothing was stolen, while in 29 per cent of the incidents, the attackers took engine spares. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up About half of the attacks in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore were on bulk carriers and a quarter on tankers, the information centre said. 'In most incidents, the criminals boarded ships that were ill-prepared, had low freeboard, and manoeuvred at slow speed in restricted areas of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore,' the ReCAAP centre said, referring to narrow parts of the straits where there is congestion and less space to manoeuvre. Authorities in the region should increase their presence in places where piracy and armed robberies repeatedly occur while crews need to be more vigilant, said Vijay D Chafekar, executive director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre. 'Shipmasters transiting the areas of concern need to increase watchkeeping on deck during hours of darkness and install preventive measures to deter unauthorised boarding,' Chafekar said. REUTERS
