Asian Piracy Up in May
Image Credit: ReCAAP ICS
ReCAAP ICS has issued its report on piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia highilighting that the number of reported incidents in May 2015 has increased by 19% compared to April 2015.
According to the report, in May 2015, a total of 20 incidents were reported in Asia, of which two were acts of piracy and 18 were incidents of robbery onboard ship. Graph 1 shows the number of incidents reported in May 2015 compared to the same period in the past four years (2011-2014).
Incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS)
A total of 11 incidents occurred in SOMS; of which 10 were actual incidents and one was an attempted incident. Of these, seven were petty theft incidents. There was a Category 1 incident involving the siphoning of fuel/oil from a Singaporeregistered petroleum product tanker, Ocean Energy in the Malacca Strait. The other incidents were mostly opportunistic in nature as the perpetrators were targeting ship stores that were movable and easily removed, such as paints, ropes or coils.
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The number of reported incidents in May 2015 has increased by 19% compared to April 2015. Of concern was the continued occurrence of siphoning incidents with two cases reported in May 2015; onboard Ocean Energy and Oriental Glory, and the increase in incidents onboard ships while underway in the SOMS. The ReCAAP ISC reiterates its advices to all vessels to exercise enhance vigilance while transiting the area and to make timely report of all incidents to the nearest coastal State. The ReCAAP ISC further encourages relevant enforcement authorities to increase maritime patrols and surveillance and undertake immediate actions to apprehend all perpetrators, including petty theft robbers as well as syndicates responsible for the siphoning incidents. |
You may read the report by clicking below
