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, reports Safety4sea.
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.
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 of a Group 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 a vessel, reviewed the threat situation and recommended further downgrading the threat level of ‘abduction of crew for ransom in the vessel from ‘moderate’ to ‘moderate low’, which implies that ‘incidents are unlikely to occur due to perpetrators’ perceived lack of capability to orchestrate an attack.
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.
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Source: Safety4sea
