Over the past week, one CAT 4 incident of armed robbery against ships in Asia was reported to the ReCAAP ISC.
The incident occurred onboard a petroleum product tanker while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait (SS) on 1 Feb 2025. The incident occurred in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), approximately 1.4 nautical miles west of Helen Mar Reef, Indonesia, on 1 February 2025 at 0600 hrs. The targeted vessel was a petroleum product tanker, and five perpetrators were involved. The weapons used were not stated, and there were no reported injuries to the crew. The incident was classified as Category 4 in terms of significance, and no items were stolen.
Area of concern
With the incident in SS, a total of 12 incidents were reported in SOMS since January 2025. The ReCAAP ISC advises ships to exercise enhanced vigilance when transiting SOMS and the littoral states to increase patrols and enforcement in these areas.
Situation of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off eastern Sabah
Re-assessment and downgrading of threat level
The efforts by the Philippine government in Zamboanga, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi through the conduct of continuous military operations led to the dismantling of the support base and neutralizing the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the Sulu archipelago.
Against this backdrop, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), coordinated with other stakeholders and counterparts that have vital involvement in the maritime security of the Sulu-Celebes Seas, reviewed the threat situation and recommended further downgrading the threat level of ‘Abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas’ from ‘MODERATE’ to ‘MODERATE LOW,’ which implies that ‘incidents are unlikely to occur due to perpetrators’ perceived lack of capability to orchestrate an attack. Nevertheless, minimal damages are expected to the vessel and crew in case of an attack.’
Update of ReCAAP ISC advisory
- With downgrading of the threat on the ‘Abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas’ by the PCG, ReCAAP ISC has updated its advisory for ships to “exercise vigilance & adopt necessary preventive measures while transiting the area.”
- For ships transiting the area, the ship masters and crew are strongly encouraged to exercise extra vigilance and report all incidents immediately to the operation centres of the Philippines and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) of Malaysia.
