Latest news with #InternationalMaritimeBureau
CNA
18-05-2025
- CNA
CNA Explains: What's behind the surge in sea robberies in the Singapore Strait?
SINGAPORE: Since the start of 2025, a total of 50 sea robbery incidents have been reported in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. All of them took place in the Singapore Strait, according to data from the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP). This was a stark increase from 14 incidents over the same period (Jan 1 to May 7) last year. As one of the world's busiest shipping lanes with over 1,000 vessels passing through daily, the Singapore Strait has long been flagged by ReCAAP as an area of concern due to a perpetual rash of sea robberies. Sea robberies typically occur within a state's internal waters, archipelagic waters and territorial sea; while piracy refers to illegal acts of violence or detention committed on the high seas. What do the numbers over the years show? ReCAAP, together with its Information Sharing Centre, was proposed as far back as in 1999 after countries in the region expressed concern over sea robbery cases. In the Singapore Strait alone, an upward trend can be observed since 2019. There were 31 incidents that year - from seven in 2018. These include both actual and attempted attacks. The number has continued to rise steadily, reaching 61 last year. That figure out of the Singapore Strait is more than half of the 116 sea robbery incidents reported globally last year, to the International Maritime Bureau. These reports take into account attacks in locations such as Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Americas and Africa. Where are most of the incidents in the Singapore Strait occurring? Out of the 50 reported this year so far, 47 were in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait's Traffic Separation Scheme, which routes and prevents collisions between maritime vessels travelling in opposing directions. The locations were predominantly in the proximity of neighbouring islands to Singapore, one of which lies about 14km south of the mainland. What's being stolen? The sea robbers here tend to go after portable items not secured to ships. These include engine and generator spare parts, as well as scrap metal. In other incidents, ship stores such as padlocks and work tools like a hand drill and a jig saw machine were looted. Robbers sometimes make off with personal belongings too. However, in half of the incidents in the Singapore Strait this year, the perpetrators actually left empty-handed. Who are these robbers? Maritime security researcher Ian Storey told CNA the majority of the attacks occurred in Indonesian waters. A number of organised criminal gangs, believed to be operating from the Riau Islands, were said to be behind most of them, he added. The ringleaders of these gangs often employ fishermen who find themselves temporarily out of work, noted the senior fellow in the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute think tank. Mr Toby Stephens from global maritime law firm HFW said the robbers also appear to be based in the more remote islands of Indonesia, such as Pulau Cula. "In many cases they are opportunistically taking advantage of their remote location, which makes tracking, tracing and pursuit of the perpetrators more difficult," said the head of HFW's Asia-Pacific crisis management team. "The evidence suggests that they are low-level, opportunistic criminals; armed, but rarely violent; and unidentified and elusive." What's their modus operandi? In all of the 50 incidents this year, the robbers targeted mostly large bulk carriers and tankers while they were sailing. Most of the attacks took place during the early hours of the day, typically between 1am to 6am. The robbers tended to travel on small vessels such as boats and sampans, which are wooden boats with a flat bottom. They would approach the back of the ships such as the aft deck or the stern, and climb up the hull using hooks or ropes. Most of them were armed with knives. Some other weapons include hammers and parangs, which are cleavers commonly used in Malaysia and Indonesia. In three incidents, the perpetrators carried guns. When the culprits are armed, the incident is typically classified as Category 3 and upwards. Majority of the reports in the Singapore Strait this year were spread across Categories 3 and 4, which are seen as "less" or "least" significant. Five incidents were assessed as Category 2, with crew members tied up in some cases. But nothing reported so far has been classed as Category 1. Incidents in this category involve a large number of armed perpetrators, with the crew suffering some form of injury or physical violence and the ship either hijacked or its cargo such as oil plundered. What's driving these robberies? ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute's Dr Storey said a variety of factors are at work, including poor socioeconomic conditions; corruption within shipping companies and law enforcement agencies; and the target-rich environment in the Singapore Strait. Indonesia has a vast maritime domain but "limited assets" to police it, said Dr Storey, who also specialises in defence and security issues in Southeast Asia. "The Indonesian navy and coast guard can't be everywhere all the time." The Information Fusion Centre (IFC), a regional maritime security centre under the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), has also pointed to a mix of seasonal and situational conditions. In a quarterly summary of incidents during the first three months of 2025, IFC noted that the northeast monsoon - between December and March - has affected fishing yield. Increased financial burdens leading up to festivities in February and March could have pushed locals to resort to petty crime in coastal waters to supplement their income, the centre added. Are the increasing numbers cause for concern? Concern, yes - but not alarm, said Dr Storey. He reiterated that the majority of attacks involve petty theft rather than hijacking, kidnapping or stealing cargo. For this same reason, he - as well as HFW's Mr Stephens - believes the impact on maritime trade so far has been minimal. Both experts, however, said insurance premiums could go up for vessels passing through the Singapore Strait, should attacks remain unchecked or grow in frequency and intensity. Shipping companies would pass on these costs to their clients, who would in turn pass them on to consumers. But Mr Stephens said it was "unlikely" that the man on the street would feel any sort of impact. "When compared to the total vessels trading through the Straits each year, (the number of sea robberies) is a tiny, tiny proportion," he noted. "By example, the Port of Singapore alone recorded a record high of 3.11 billion gross tonnes of arriving ship traffic (last year)." What is Singapore's approach to sea robberies? The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the RSN work together to secure territorial waters. MPA regularly issues information on sea robbery incidents in the Straits of Singapore and Malacca, to vessels most commonly involved in such incidents. PCG leans on international cooperation, patrols and a network of cameras and other systems to respond to criminal activities within Singapore's territorial waters. It will board vessels that have encountered armed robbery incidents in Singapore waters, and investigate accordingly. For the RSN, it set up a Maritime Security Task Force in 2009, and a Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre in 2011. The navy's IFC also shares real-time information among Singapore's neighbours, as part of close collaboration that also involves coordinated sea and air patrols. The Singapore Strait also includes the territorial waters of Malaysia and Indonesia. What more can be done? Even closer and greater collaboration among Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia is the way forward, said the analysts CNA spoke to. "Indonesia should allow Singapore and Malaysia 'hot pursuit rights' into its waters," said Dr Storey. He also called on Indonesia to crack down on the criminal gangs behind the attacks at sea, such as by arresting and convicting the sea robbers. "At the moment, very few perpetrators are detained and prosecuted." Mr Stephens said the three countries could provide joint guidance to seafarers and mariners transiting the region on what to look out for, along with preventive measures and avenues to seek assistance. He added that more patrols in remote areas identified as hotspots - possibly assisted by the use of drones and unmanned systems - would also be helpful. "But, in all honesty, it is very unlikely to eradicate the practice entirely, unless the underlying socioeconomic and political factors are eradicated."
Telegraph
03-04-2025
- Telegraph
‘We are under attack by pirates. Please stay in your cabin': The threat to cruise ships that refuses to go away
Piracy on the high seas sounds like something from a bygone era, but the menace of armed robbery is still a very real threat in certain parts of the world. The menace posed to cruise ships in particular hit the headlines recently when holidaymakers aboard Cunard's Queen Anne were told to turn off their cabin lights and avoid outside decks as they sailed through a notorious area of the Philippines. An announcement on board, recorded and shared by TikTok user @lilydapink, said: 'This area is known for piracy threats, therefore we will be operating at a heightened level of security alertness. In the unlikely event of an emergency, a broadcast will be made by the bridge.' @lillydapink I didn't know there were pirates around this area. We are crossing from Darwin to Manila #cruisetok #cunard #fyp ♬ original sound - cruisegypsyuk@lillydapink In the past, cruise ships have been attacked and even boarded – during one such incident, passengers tried to fight off armed pirates themselves by throwing furniture. But is the lingering danger real, and how do cruise ships prepare for it? How many cruise ships have been attacked by pirates? There have been six reported attacks on cruise ships since 2005. Le Ponant was boarded was off the coast of Somalia in 2008, as was the MSC Melody in 2009; Seabourn Spirit was fired upon in the same waters in 2005; in 2008, Nautica was fired upon in the Gulf of Aden; Saga's Spirit of Adventure was threatened when pirates closed off the coast of Tanzania in 2011; and in 2012, several small boats approached Azamara Journey off the coast of Oman. Has a cruise ship ever been successfully hijacked? French sailing ship Le Ponant was boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia in 2008. The 32-cabin vessel was carrying 30 crew but no passengers. A French frigate and a helicopter from a Canadian warship were sent to track the yacht. The hostages were later released, unharmed, after the payment of a £2 million ransom. France then mounted a commando raid on the mainland to capture the kidnappers, who were put on trial in Paris. Four of the Somali pirates received sentences ranging from four to 10 years. The vessel continues to sail for Ponant. How common are attacks on ships in general? The waters off Somalia, Indonesia and the Singapore Straits became more dangerous for merchant shipping in 2024 than the previous year, contributing to the 116 piracy incidents – more than two a week – reported worldwide to the International Maritime Bureau. Other incidents took place in Bangladesh, the Gulf of Guinea, Colombia and Guyana. In all, 94 vessels were boarded, there were 13 attempted attacks, six vessels were hijacked and three fired upon. The number of crew taken hostage rose from 73 in 2023 to 126 last year and guns were used in 26 attacks. None of the vessels were carrying passengers and no cruise ships were involved. What is the International Maritime Bureau? Set up in 1981, initially to combat fraud at sea, the IMB now deals with international piracy from its base in Wapping, east London – appropriately close to Execution Dock, where Scottish buccaneer Captain William Kidd was hanged in 1701. The non-profit-making organisation tracks all cases of piracy (defined as being on the open seas), as well as armed robbery (in territorial waters). Threats to shipping vary from thefts from vessels in port to kidnap and ransom of crew. The bureau can also broadcast radio warnings to ships during live incidents. What happens when pirates make an attack on a cruise ship? In November 2008, Jason Gelineau was the general manager on board Oceania ship Nautica in the Gulf of Aden when he heard 'Mr Skylight, contact reception' – the line's codeword for pirate activity. Two skiffs were approaching the bow and stern of the ship, firing into the air. Captain Jurica Brajcic took immediate action by starting a zig-zag manoeuvre to create a wake that would capsize the boats if they came close. Meanwhile, security – mostly ex-military personnel from India or Israel – who were on a 24-hour watch, had water cannons set up on both port and starboard sides, and were setting up long-range acoustic devices installed on the bridge wings. 'The captain, usually a very stoic person, was shaking,' Mr Gelineau said afterwards. 'He told me the skiffs had come as close as 300m, then stopped and turned towards a cargo ship sailing in the opposite direction.' What's it like to be in an attack? Donna Meads-Barlow was on MSC Melody with her husband and three children off the coast of Somalia in April 2009 when the cruise director announced: 'We are under attack by pirates. Please stay in your cabin, keep the curtains shut and the lights out. Please don't panic, help is on its way.' Mrs Meads-Barlow gathered her sleeping children from another cabin and prayed as she heard banging and shouting during the night. 'We could hear a heck of a commotion going on outside in the corridors of our cabin', she recounted, 'and what was even more scary was that we didn't know if the pirates had boarded and taken control of our ship… We lay there for hours and held hands so tight that we almost cut off circulation.' When she and her husband Brian ventured out the next morning, they found windows shattered by bullets. 'People were everywhere, talking and pointing and just outside the Blue Ribard Bar, at exactly the lounge chairs we were sitting at the previous night, was a shattered window with a huge bullet hole through it.' It transpired that eight pirates wearing balaclavas had tried to board the ship and opened fire with AK-47 rifles. Security guards fired eight shots into the air and let off two emergency flares to scare them away while some of the 1,200 passengers took matters into their own hands and hurled tables and chairs down at them. 'It was like war,' Captain Ciro Pinto recounted the following day. A Spanish warship eventually arrived to escort MSC Melody from the area. Is there any real threat of piracy to cruise ships? Cyrus Mody, the IMB's deputy director, was surprised to read the report about Queen Anne as, even in Somalia, pirate attacks are markedly reduced compared to the worst years of 2008-2012 and 2021-22. Rather, he regards the whole of south-east Asia – including Indonesia and the Philippines – as of minimal risk for cruise ships. 'The only point of access to the vessel I would visualise is from the stern and when a cruise ship is under way she's churning up a lot of water behind, so getting to her would be a task,' he said. 'Unlike merchant vessels, cruise ships are also very well enclosed so are much more difficult for a robber to board. 'Then there's the sheer number of people around. To hijack a vessel you need to get command of the bridge – and the pirates would have to get up 17 decks or so to get there. Plus cruise ships have their own security.' What precautions do cruise ships take? The threat is now minimal, but over the last few decades, there have been various precautions that ships have taken. Rosanna Ivkovic was a hostess on Fred Olsen's Black Watch during a five-month world cruise in 2014. 'When we were approaching the Somalia region, a specialist team came on board,' she says. 'Barbed wire was installed around the railings of the ship, as well as water cannons, and we had armed specialists on constant watch. We spent a day at sea rehearsing how we should act if pirates came aboard with passengers being allocated 'safe' areas in corridors away from windows and exterior doors.' In 2005, crew on Seabourn Spirit used a water hose and sonic weapon to repel pirates who fired machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades at the ship. Six years later, hundreds of passengers on Saga's Spirit of Adventure who had just sat down to a formal dinner were ordered below deck when pirates closed in off the coast of Tanzania. What do the cruise lines say? A spokesperson for industry body CLIA said: 'Our members prioritise safety and security in all their operations and closely monitor planned routes, including working closely with global security experts and government authorities. ' Cruise lines also have the unique ability to adjust routes and itineraries if needed in the best interest of passengers and crew. Cruise lines have maintained an exceptional safety record thanks to ongoing intensive training, vigilance and response plans, which include a strong coordinated approach across the maritime sector and with international bodies.' A Cunard spokesperson said of the Queen Anne story: ' As part of standard maritime procedures, our captains may make precautionary announcements when sailing through certain regions. There was no specific threat to the ship or its guests, and our onboard experience remained uninterrupted.'
Arab News
19-02-2025
- Arab News
Suspected Somali pirates seize a new Yemeni fishing boat in second recent attack
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Suspected Somali pirates have seized another Yemeni fishing boat off the Horn of Africa, authorities a statement late Tuesday, a European naval force known as EUNAVFOR Atalanta said the attack targeted a dhow, a traditional ship that plies the waters of the Mideast, off the town of Eyl in said the attack Monday remained under investigation. It comes 10 days after another pirate attack on another Yemeni fishing boat which ultimately ended with the pirates fleeing and the mariners on board being recovered off the Somali coast peaked in 2011 when 237 attacks were reported. Somali piracy in the region at the time cost the world's economy some $7 billion — with $160 million paid out in ransoms, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring threat was diminished by increased international naval patrols, a strengthening central government in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, and other Somali pirate attacks have resumed at a greater pace over the last year, in part due to the insecurity caused by Yemen's Houthi rebels launching their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza 2024, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
Washington Post
11-02-2025
- Washington Post
Suspected Somali pirates seize boat off Horn of Africa
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Suspected Somali pirates have seized a Yemeni fishing boat off the Horn of Africa, authorities said late Monday. A European naval operation in the Mideast, known as EUNAVFOR Atalanta, said the incident remained under investigation. It said the attack targeted a dhow, a traditional ship that plies the waters of the Mideast, off the town of Eyl in Somalia. The maritime security firm Ambrey said the attack saw the suspects steal three small boats equipped with 60-horsepower engines. Ambrey said early Tuesday 'a suspected pirate action group has been sighted departing' off the coast of Eyl. Once-rampant piracy off the Somali coast diminished after a peak in 2011. That year, there were 237 reported attacks in waters off Somalia. Somali piracy in the region at the time cost the world's economy some $7 billion — with $160 million paid out in ransoms, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring group. Increased international naval patrols, a strengthening central government in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, and other efforts saw the piracy beaten back. However, Somali pirate attacks have resumed at a greater pace over the last year, in part due to the insecurity caused by Yemen's Houthi rebels launching their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. In 2024, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
