Singapore’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC) published its latest infographic, providing an overview of incidents against ships in the Singapore Strait as of 14 May. The update informs of one attempted incident against a tanker in the region this month so far.
The incident occurred on 9 May and is the first one reported since the last infographic, issued on 23 April. A total of five incidents were recorded in the area in April 2021.
-Key facts on the incident
A small craft was sighted following the stern of the targeted tanker, which took evasive manoeuvres to prevent successful boarding. Separately, IFC was also informed of suspicious small craft activity, possibly linked to the reported incident.
Therefore, IFC shared information with the Singapore and Indonesia Navy OPCENs and the Indonesia Liaison Officer at the IFC. Indonesian navy dispatched assets to the reported location, but no small craft was sighted.
Recommendations:
- Remain vigilant, even in daylight hrs; report suspicious activities to local authorities immediately and inform IFC
- Participate in Voluntary Community Reporting as depicted in MARSEC Charts Q6112 and Q6113
- Adopt Ship Protection Measures recommended in the Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.
