In its 3rd quarter piracy report, ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), provides an insight into the incidents reported in Asia during January-September 2023 compared to the trend of past incidents during the 16-year period of 2007-2022.
The analysis focuses on the number of perpetrators, weapons carried, treatment of crew, stolen items, type of ships boarded and time of the incidents.
Number of Incidents during 2007-2022 and January-September 2023
During 2007-2022, a total of 1,906 incidents (comprising 1,691 actual incidents and 215 attempted incidents) were reported in Asia. During this period, the number of incidents fluctuated over the years, with the highest number of incidents in 2015 (203) and the lowest in 2018 (76).
The 84 incidents reported in Asia during January-September 2023 were consistent with the trend of past incidents during the 16-year period of 2007-2022, in terms of the number of perpetrators, type of weapons carried by perpetrators, treatment of crew and time of incidents. However, there was a deviation in the type of stolen items and type of ships boarded.
The characteristics of incidents reported in Asia during January-September 2023 are as follows:
- 63% (including attempted incident) were CAT 4 incidents
- 49% involved perpetrators in groups of 4-6 men
- 65% involved perpetrators who did not carry weapons or no information on the weapons carried. If armed, perpetrators most likely armed with knives, machetes or other weapons (33%)
- 85% reported no injuries sustained by crew, 5% had no information on well-being of the crew
- 32% reported nothing was stolen, 1% reported losses cannot be ascertained Type of items stolen: engine spares (27%), unsecured items (20%), ship stores (16%), crew’s personal belongings (4%)
- 51% occurred on board bulk carriers, 24% on board tankers, 14% on board tug boats/supply vessels, 10% on board container ships and 1% on board fishing trawlers
- 90% occurred during hours of darkness
Number of perpetrator
2007-2022. Among the 1,906 incidents, 628 incidents involved 4-6 men (33%), 518 incidents involved 1-3 men (27%), 181 incidents involved 7-9 men (10%), 138 incidents involved more than 9 men (7%), and 441 incidents had no information available (23%).
January-September 2023. Of the 84 incidents, 41 incidents involved 4-6 men (49%), 26 incidents involved 1-3 men (31%), two incidents involved more than 9 men (2%), two incidents involved 7-9 men (2%) and 13 incidents had no information available (16%).
Type of weapons
2007-2022. Of the 1,906 incidents, 932 incidents had no information on the weapons carried by the perpetrators (49%), 614 incidents reported knives/machetes (32%), 190 reported guns and knives (10%) and 170 did not carry weapons (9%).
January-September 2023. Among the 84 incidents, two incidents reported that the perpetrators were armed with guns or a gun-like object (2%), 28 incidents reported that the perpetrators carried knives, machetes and other weapons such as metal bars, shovel-like weapon and adjustable wrench (33%), 15 incidents reported the perpetrators did not carry weapons (18%) and 39 incidents had no information of weapons carried by the perpetrators (47%). In both incidents involving perpetrators who carried guns, they did not discharge their firearms.
