ReCAAP ISC informed that four incidents were reported on board ships while underway in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait, from 7 – 9 August 2023.
The incident on 7 Aug occurred off Tanjung Tondong, Indonesia and the three incidents on 8 Aug and 9 Aug occurred in the Philip Channel, off Cula Island, Indonesia. All incidents occurred to bulk carriers while underway in the eastbound lane of the TSS. In one incident, the perpetrators were armed with knives, and the perpetrators were not armed in the other three incidents. In three incidents, the perpetrators were sighted in the engine room, and in one incident perpetrators were sighted on the port quarter deck.
Engine spares were stolen in all four incidents. The crew was not injured in all the incidents. With these four incidents, a total of 55 incidents were reported in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) since January 2023.
Of the 55 incidents, 51 incidents occurred in the Singapore Strait and four incidents in the Malacca Strait. A total of 55 incidents were reported in SOMS in the entire year of 2022, all in the SS. The ReCAAP ISC urges 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.
All ships are advised 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 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.
Number and Location of Incidents in the Singapore Strait (January-August 2023)
The ReCAAP Focal Points reported to the ReCAAP ISC a total of 51 incidents that occurred on board ships while underway in the SS during January-August 2023 (as of 9 Aug).
From a month-to-month comparison, the number of incidents during January-August 2023 has increased compared to the same period in 2022 (38 incidents). The increase occurred in the month of March, April, May, June and July 2023. The chart below shows the monthly number of incidents reported in SS during January-August 2023 (as of 9 Aug) and January August 2022.
