Over the past week, two incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (one actual incident and one attempted incident) were reported to the ReCAAP ISC.
Both incidents occurred in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Straits (SS). The actual incident (CAT 2) occurred onboard a tanker while underway northwest of Pulau Cula, Indonesia, on 23 Oct 2024. The attempted incident occurred onboard a bulk carrier while underway northeast of Pulau Cula, Indonesia, on 26 Oct 2024.
| Location | Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximity | About 2.5 nm northwest of Pulau Cula, Indonesia | About 6.7 nm northeast of Pulau Cula, Indonesia |
| Type of Ship | Tanker | Bulk carrier |
| Date/Time | 23 Oct at 0015 hrs | 26 Oct at 2342 hrs |
| Number of Perpetrators | 6 men | 2 men |
| Weapons | Knives | Not armed |
| Treatment of Crew | Threatened | No injuries |
| Significance Level | CAT 2 | Attempted |
| Items Stolen | Personal belongings | Nil |
Area of concern
With the two incidents in SS, a total of 41 incidents were reported in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) since January 2024. 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 the 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.
Recommendations
Ship masters and crew are to report all incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships to the nearest coastal State and flag State, referring to the poster on the contact details for reporting of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia, exercise vigilance, and adopt appropriate preventive measures taking reference from the Regional Guide 2 to counter piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia; both produced by the ReCAAP ISC.
